Scotland heads to the polls on Thursday following an election campaign like no other.
The election will not only decide who runs Scotland and how the recovery from Covid-19 will be played out, but could also change the very fabric of the nation, with Scottish independence on the agenda for many parties.
While a pro-independence majority is likely with the Greens and Alba also backing Scottish independence, a recent poll from The Herald on Sunday/BMG Research suggests the SNP is set to win a majority of seats, finishing with 68 seats.
The same poll found independence tied at 50/50.
The Scottish electoral system is more proportional than the system used in Westminster elections, however, which makes it harder for an overall majority to secure a majority.
READ MORE: What is a list vote? Why has there been talk of ‘splitting votes’?
Indeed the Scottish system is effective in making parties work in coalition or in ‘kingmaker’ agreements.
In the previous parliament, The SNP was the biggest party with 61 seats, falling 4 short of the 65 needed to obtain a majority.
The Scottish Conservatives had 30 with Scottish Labour, the third biggest party on 23.
READ MORE: Majority of Scots think Alex Salmond 'not fit and proper person' for Holyrood seat
The Scottish Parliament consists of 129 representatives elected through the Additional Member System.
As a result, Scottish voters cast two votes, one vote for a candidate (using the traditional First past the Post system) which sees 73 MSPs elected, and one vote for the regional MSPs, with seats allocated in a more proportional way.
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