The National:

WE know the importance of voting.

With this election in Scotland a choice between more Tory austerity and a brighter future in which we are cut free of the shackles of Westminster, registering to vote and then braving the elements has never been more important.

We have stressed the importance of putting a cross on your ballot paper, especially when there are so many key marginals in Scotland, with some constituencies tighter than the funds the Tory government has invested in social care over the past decade.

Just make sure you do so within the rules.

Do not, for instance, follow the example of one Jackson Carlaw, who has been left red-faced again after he posted a picture of himself outside his polling station today. The tweet read: “I’ve just voted at Clarkston Hall for @PM4EastRen. I voted to stop IndyRef2 and to get Nicola Sturgeon focused back on your schools and your hospitals, not separation.”

The National:

The trouble is, if a similar tweet from November 30 in which the interim Scottish Tory leader claimed he was sending his postal vote is true, then Carlaw appears to have committed electoral fraud.

The National:

Which may go some way to explaining why Scotland turned so blue at the previous election.

Either that or he’s been caught out lying for a shameless publicity stunt.

The First Minister responded to the gaffe on Twitter, simply quote-tweeting the images side by side and posting an accompanying laughing-face emoji.

Scotland’s Brexit Secretary Mike Russell then got in on the act, posting to Twitter: “Eh?? Surely not as voting twice would be a criminal offence. 

“Whereas tweeting something that isn’t true for electoral effect is just crass and dishonest ...”

Our thoughts exactly.

Carlaw has since explained that he had two proxy votes to cast yesterday morning while hitting back at both Nicola Sturgeon and Russell.

“Poor @NicolaSturgeon foolishly jumps on a bandwagon. I had two proxy votes to cast for constituents this morning.

“Both votes were cast for @PM4EastRen.”

“But then we know Nicola rarely bothers with facts these days.”

To the Brexit Secretary, he responded: “Even I thought @Feorlean was better than this insinuation.

“I cast two Proxy Votes this morning on behalf of constituents. Will he and 
@NicolaSturgeon be as quick to publicly apologise?”

We’re curious to know what Carlaw is seeking an apology for. 

When contacted for comment, the Scottish Conservatives confirmed the interim Scots Tory leader was voting by proxy for an elderly relative ... despite the fact Carlaw had previously referred to both of the votes as his own.

Many people replied to both of Carlaw’s responses – which both, at the time of writing, had more replies than likes. 

Which isn’t a good sign if you’re trying to present a good Twitter game.
Many of these, rightly, questioned why he had previously referred to the votes as his own.