Moray by-election win in Elgin City South for Conservative candidate Elaine Kirby
Conservative candidate Elaine Kirby has won the Elgin City South by-election by just 67 votes.
The new councillor defeated the SNP’s Laura Mitchell in the close contest which required a final head-to-head round.
Under voting rules for council elections, voters can rank candidates based on their preferences.
If a candidate receives more than half of first-preference votes, a figure known as the quota, it means that candidate automatically wins the seat.
However, if the magic number is not reached, the candidate with fewest votes is knocked out with their supporters’ votes distributed based on second preferences.
The process repeats until either the quota is reached or only one candidate, the winner, remains.
Ms Mitchell received the highest number of first-preference votes, but the Conservative candidate took the lead when votes from two eliminated candidates were transferred.
In the third and final round, Ms Kirby won by less than three per cent.
Turnout for the election, triggered by the resignation of long-time councillor Graham Leadbitter after becoming an MP, was 25.8 per cent.
The people of Elgin City South cast 2636 valid votes, with 39 ballots rejected, leading to a quota of 1319.
The first round saw Ms Mitchell receive 849 votes, with Ms Kirby taking 834, followed by Labour candidate Catriona McBain with 487.
Scottish Liberal Democrat candidate Neil Alexander was eliminated in the first round of voting, receiving 466 votes.
In the second round, however, first and second place changed hands with Ms Kirby surging to 962 votes, to Ms Mitchell’s 928.
After Ms McBain was knocked out of the race, the next round saw the Conservative candidate preserve her narrow lead to win the seat.
The Conservative win is in line with wins in another three by-elections which contested in Aberdeenshire on the same day.
