THE dark spectacle of the US Presidential election has cast a shadow over the democratic world which Scotland would do well to guard against with Holyrood elections next year and IndyRef2 on the horizon.

And the Electoral Reform Society has warned that we must plan early and communicate better to avoid our elections being decided in the courts rather than in the count where they should be judged.

Willie Sullivan, director of ERS Scotland, said: “The litigation over mail-in voting in the US is a dispiriting reflection of how polarised it has become, and how much trust has been deliberately eroded in democratic institutions.

“But it’s also a reminder to plan early to ensure the rules are transparent, well-understood and properly communicated long before polling day.

“Our elections are too important to hand over to partisan wrangling and the courts.”

The ERS recognises that elections in the time of Covid are already a very different exercise in voting and that we all have to adapt, both those holding the election and us, the public, who are submitting our choices.

“Authorities here need the ­resources and training to prepare properly for all circumstances in May’s elections.”

Sullivan added. “Democracy can’t be left to chance. Voters will need to have a clear idea of what to expect when they get to the polling station, and to be offered alternatives such as postal voting if needed.

“Mail-in voting appears to have been a lifeline for democracy in the US during the pandemic, seeing record turnout and ­reducing the electoral burden on polling day itself.

The ERS believes that we would do well to remember that it is not just in America where election results can appear skewed, or outright unfair.

Sullivan added: “Despite Biden leading by millions of votes, he was by no means guaranteed ­victory under the warped Electoral ­College system. Twice in this century Presidents have been elected despite losing the popular vote.

“These ‘wrong winner’ results have also happened twice in the UK in the past century, under Westminster’s broken voting ­system. Thankfully, Holyrood’s proportional system means seats match how people actually vote.

“We now need Westminster to catch up, and switch to a system of fair representation, where all voters are heard – not just those in a handful of swing seats. In both the US and the UK, the public deserve a simple guarantee: every vote should count.”

As the American election plays itself out now through the courts democracies around the world will look at what lessons they can learn and how they should adapt.

An early spotlight will be shone on Scotland and how the vote is carried out, particularly if Covid-19 is still at large, when the Holyrood elections are held on May 6 next year.

A PARTICULAR challenge will be on how to blend traditional polling stations with postal voting, the latter which is already in place, but which is likely to increase greatly because of Covid-19.

Electoral Commission data shows that there were 2689 polling places at the 2016 Scottish Parliament election, most with two to three polling stations within them.

Dr Alistair Clark, Reader in ­Politics at Newcastle University, said that the Covid voting experience at polling stations would require a new understanding both from voters and would demand patience.

He raised concerns that the volunteer numbers needed for the staff to deliver the vote would come under pressure because “staff having to wear PPE may mean two shifts, increasing the recruitment difficulties”.

Dr Clark believes that this and other measures such as social distancing, changing of hand sanitising stations, mask wearing (and the possibility of turning voters away if they are not wearing them) and voters having to take their own pencils will all come into play.

All of which may put people off going to polling stations, added to fears of contracting Covid, and lead to more people using postal votes.

Postal voting has already been on the rise from 3.6% in 2003 to 17.7% in 2016.

But the Holyrood 2019 elections look like breaking all records.

CLARK predicted: “The expectation is that there will be an increased number of requests for postal votes compared to previous elections.

“Postal vote applications take time to process and tend to be received close to the deadline.’

“A large increase of postal vote applications close to the deadline could see the postal vote system close to collapse.

“Politicians, the media and public will need to accept that results may not be known until later than normal, perhaps days afterwards.

“This message needs to start to be communicated now to avoid the ­inevitable complaints post-election.

“As with polling stations, the potential difficulties in recruiting enough count staff under Covid-19 circumstances should be evident.”

The ERS though while accepting that elections in the time of Covid are open to abuse and manipulation they don’t have to be.

“Though we all hope the pandemic subsides in time for next May’s elections, we have to be prepared for all scenarios, and have a plan for ­expanding mail-in voting if necessary. Postal voting plays an important role in expanding access to the ballot box – from disabled people to older voters and others who are unable to get to a polling station.

“Mail-in voting appears to have been a lifeline for democracy in the US during the pandemic, seeing record turnout and reducing the electoral burden on polling day itself.”