Police probe Better Together postal vote access

SCOTTISH INDEPENDENCE: Police have launched an ­investigation into allegations that Better Together agents breached election law by viewing postal votes to discover how well the No campaign was doing in the weeks before the referendum poll closed.

Ruth Davidson said campaign had been encouraged by sample opening. Picture: John Devlin

The concerns surfaced after Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said 45 minutes after the polls closed last Thursday that the campaign had been “incredibly encouraged” by the results of a “sample opening” of the postal ballot that she said had taken place over the previous few weeks.

Complaints were received by police and the Electoral Commission that agents had been able to see ballot papers and communicate how the vote was going.

Officials accepted that while staff are required by law to keep ballot papers face down there may be occasions when the face of the paper is visible.

However, it is an offence for anyone to attempt to discover how any vote was cast or communicate such information.

SEE ALSO

• The Better Together No vote aftermath

• The Yes Scotland pro-independence aftermath