THE SYSTEM Two elections - one day A new system to elect local councils was introduced this time. It used the single transferable vote system (STV), where voters rank their candidates in order of preference by marking 1, 2 and 3 etc on their paper.

THE SYSTEM
Two elections - one day
A new system to elect local councils was introduced this time. It used the single transferable vote system (STV), where voters rank their candidates in order of preference by marking 1, 2 and 3 etc on their paper.

But this operated alongside the Holyrood system of placing a cross in a box. The move to STV was backed in June 2004 as part of the coalition deal struck between Labour and the Liberal Democrat executive. However, the Arbuthnott Commission review of the Scottish voting system, published in January 2006, recommended that the Holyrood and council elections should not be on the same day.

Three votes - two ballot papers
This time round, the papers in the Scottish Parliament election were changed to combine the polls for the regional list vote and the constituency vote into only one ballot paper. This was a Whitehall decision to make voting "simpler".

Advice? What advice?
Many voters were given advice from polling place clerks about how to cast their votes. Some complained their explanations were contradictory and confusing. Some clerks claimed voters did not listen.

THE BALLOT PAPER
Vote left or vote right?
During the first two Holyrood elections, voters were asked to cast a "first vote" to elect a constituency on the left of the ballot paper and then a "second vote" for a list party on the right of the paper. This time, it was the opposite way round and no-one was supposed to refer to a "first" and "second" vote. The list vote for a party was on the left and the constituency on the right. The electoral authorities said this had been tested and was found to be easier to understand.

Double crossing
The Holyrood ballot paper bore the simple legend: "You have two votes" and then arrows pointing down to the two sections. How many people mis-read this to mean making two crosses in the list section?

Personality politics
The first entry on the list ballot paper was "Alex Salmond for First Minister". Clever politics to use alphabetical order to gain top billing - and well within the rules. But did this lead to people thinking it was a personal rather than party vote?

Unclear branding
The colour-coded ballot papers, in fetching peach and lilac, used black logos for each party. Many were difficult to decipher.

THE COUNT
Blank looks
Returning officers reported larger numbers of blank ballot papers, leading to the suspicion some voters simply gave up.

Ballot origami
For generations voters have folded ballot papers. Not this time. The electronic counting system liked flat papers.

E-counting
The electronic systems were introduced to help speed up the process of counting STV votes for the local authority election, as well as assisting with the Holyrood count.

The Electoral Commission also wanted counting to be delayed until the day after voting. This was rejected.

DRS Data & Research Services, which implemented the automated counting system, admitted it was experiencing problems with the "consolidation" of the votes.