They called it the Jeffrey Donaldson factor, and it almost resulted in fisticuffs. Embarr assing perhaps, for the local anti-agreement Ulster Unionist MP, who would have expected a massive victory had he been selected to contest the election.
For onlookers it was a diversion from the tedium of waiting for the first count in Lagan Valley.
The altercation occurred as Mr Donaldson did a TV interview at the Dromore count centre. Mr Sam Kirkpatrick, a local Ulster Unionist, verbally attacked him, called him a traitor, told him "You deserve a good thumping" and said that if David Trimble lost "it will be your fault".
Mr Donaldson was at first slightly uncomfortable but then took control, said he was not a traitor but a unionist defending the union and told Mr Kirkpatrick to "catch yourself on".
In the first hours of the count at Dromore Community Centre, Mr Donaldson seemed, if not quite smug, then certainly vindicated.
"It looks like a lot of Ulster Unionist votes are going to the UK Unionists. That was the message we gave to head office," he said. "There was a lack of foresight. It was a foolish short-sighted decision [not to choose him as a candidate] and we've paid the penalty. We've left a seat."
The Ulster Unionists had expected to win three and perhaps a fourth seat. Now it was likely to be only two, with the others going to the UK Unionists and the DUP.
So did he feel vindicated? "I feel very annoyed that party officers don't have the foresight to see that sometimes you have to make political decisions rather than going strictly by the rules."
The incident was a reflection of the split within unionism over the Belfast Agreement. That split was reflected, too, in the Alliance Party victory. Its deputy leader, Mr Seamus Close, topped the poll and was elected on the first count. "An absolutely fantastic result," he said. "To get elected, that's really great. But to top the poll, particularly in Lagan Valley, now that is something else."
By the time of Mr Close's victory the distribution of seats was shaping up for a fight for the final seat, between the UDP leader, Mr Gary McMichael, and the SDLP's Ms Patricia Lewsley, with Ms Lewsley slightly ahead.
Was the presence of Fianna Fail's No 1 tallyman, Mr Derek Mooney, a sign of the cross-Border bodies already up and running?
"I'm here because I am a friend of Patricia's," he said.
As for the constituency's 564 spoilt votes, the returning officer, Mr Cecil McKeag, said they were a reflection of people not understanding the PR system. Most of them were marked with Xs or ticked off.
One, however, was inscribed with the legend "Waste of time".
