With voting now just hours away and the campaigns beginning to wind-up, heads are turning to what might happen post-election.
What could happen after Thursday?
1) Nicola Sturgeon will be First Minister with an SNP majority
This seems the most likely scenario, although Ms Sturgeon insists she is “taking nothing for granted”.
Aside from nitty-gritty policy, the election of an SNP majority government makes a second independence referendum more likely.
Ms Sturgeon has said she would attempt to hold a vote if a majority of people backed independence, or if there was a “material change” in circumstances, such as the UK voting to leave the EU as a whole while Scots voted to stay in.
Other parties – including the Greens, RISE and Solidarity – have also backed a second independence referendum, although fair to say they are unlikely to win a majority.
2) The SNP are the largest party but do not win a majority
Hard to believe, I know, but it could happen. Opinion polls can be wrong – look at the 2015 General Election – and, in any event, SNP supporters might be so confident their party will win they won’t bother to vote.
In such an event, the SNP would have to seek a coalition arrangement with other parties – most likely the Greens, but also other pro-independence parties if they win seats – in an attempt to sure-up a majority. Or they could carry-on as a minority government, as they did between 2007 and 2011.
3) Scottish Labour comes third behind the Tories
This is the unusual, but most interesting, story of the campaign. Such a happening would be the first time since 1910 Labour haven’t come first or second north of the border – quite an event.
Kezia Dugdale, the party leader, is viewed as a long-term prospect, but she might struggle to survive such a defeat. There are already mutterings about potential coups and coming third would surely lead to knives being sharpened in earnest.
4) UKIP get an MSP
Well, they got an MEP in 2014, so it’s not beyond impossible. Expect horror, entertainment and gaffes in equal measure, if past form is anything to go by. Party leader David Coburn is number one on the list in the Highlands and Islands.
5) Scottish Labour comes second
What would once have been met as a Gallipoli-esque disaster will instead by greeted by the quaffing of Champagne at party HQ. Ms Dugdale might still face threats but she should be able to fend them off in such a scenario.
Ruth Davidson meanwhile will be disappointed but perhaps not overly surprised. She is the Tory leader in Scotland after all.
6) Not a single party leader, apart from Ms Sturgeon, wins a constituency vote
This would be quite a damning indictment of how popular other party leaders are. Ms Dugdale, Ms Davidson, Willie Rennie and even Patrick Harvie run the risk of failing to win the first-past-the-post contest, despite their best efforts. They will all get in on the list, of course, but it’s hardly a seal of approval.
7) Labour and the Liberal Democrats combine forces
Both parties leaders have, at present, ruled this out, despite it being advocated as a strategy by some senior figures, such as John McTernan.
Could their attitude change after the election? It is not impossible to imagine it, particularly if it would allow the new joined-up party enough MSPs to leap-frog a second placed Tory party to become the official opposition.
8) Jeremy Corbyn is ousted as Labour leader
Ask any question, it seems, and this is a potential answer.
While internal machinations could see some in the party gunning for Ms Dugdale if Labour comes third, it would also raise big question marks over Mr Corbyn’s leadership.
The Blairites have stopped sharpening their knives and are now charging their chainsaws. They will need little excuse.
9) Scotland becomes less likely to vote to stay in the EU
Well, this is probably unlikely. It’s been a gruelling six weeks of campaigning though.
I’m not sure anyone in Scotland’s main parties – who all support EU membership – will be up for much of a fight before June 23.
