NICOLA Sturgeon has said that an SNP majority was always a “very, very long shot” as she attends the vote count in Glasgow’s Emirates Arena.
The SNP leader focused instead on her party’s likelihood of forming a government following a potential historic fourth election victory.
Sturgeon said that this would be “an extraordinary achievement for any political party”.
Speaking to the BBC, she said: “A majority has always been a very, very long shot. The Holyrood system is a proportional representation system. In 2011 we effectively broke that system.”
The SNP won 69 seats in 2011, four more than is needed to hold a majority in Holyrood. However, the party won 45.4% of the constituency vote and 44.0% of the regional list vote.
READ MORE: LIVE: All the news from the Scottish Parliament election as seats are declared
Sturgeon went on: “It would be good to [get another majority] but I have never taken that for granted and that has always been on a knife-edge, on a small number of votes in a small number of seats.
“So, we’ll wait and see how the votes pan out over today and tomorrow but at this stage in the results, and there’s a long long way to go, I’m feeling extremely happy and extremely confident that we are on track in the SNP for a fourth consecutive election victory and to have the ability to form a government and that’s an extraordinary achievement for any political party.
“If that is how the results end and that is how the election turns out then I’ll be ready and eager to get back to work on behalf of the people of Scotland.”
Sturgeon also addressed rumours of a record turnout, saying that it is something to be celebrated if true.
READ MORE: Reports of 'record' turnout as Scots vote in crucial Holyrood election
She told the BBC a high turnout is “something that should delight every single party regardless of the outcome of this election”.
The SNP leader added: “It is a real victory for democracy and something we should all take heart from. I’m absolutely delighted.”
The BBC also heard from University of Strathclyde polling guru Sir John Curtice.
The elections expert said he does not think the SNP will win a majority overall, although he cautioned that the seats that have reported so far "aren’t necessarily typical" of the national vote.
Curtice also said that the regional list count for Aberdeen Donside, which declared the constituency vote for the SNP earlier today, had shown a poor result for Alba.
He said Alex Salmond’s party had won 2% of the list vote in that area, which did not bode well for the former First Minister’s hopes of returning to Holyrood.
Salmond is sitting on the North East Scotland list and will likely need around 6% of the votes in order to win a seat.
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