Nicola Sturgeon has denied her party is in crisis after concerns were raised about the integrity of the race to succeed her.
The outgoing First Minister claimed she has "100% confidence" in the race to find a new leader of the SNP.
Kate Forbes and Ash Regan last night called for an independent auditor to oversee the election.
Speaking to reporters outside the Holyrood chamber today, Sturgeon denied the Nationalists were in crisis.
"My party is having a democratic leadership election – growing pains for any organisation can be painful, but they are important," she said.
"I think it’s incumbent for the three candidates standing to succeed me that they remember the task is to retain the trust of the Scottish people that we have won consistently over, not just the eight years of my leadership, but consistently since 2007."
Asked if there should be an independent auditor appointed, the First Minister said the company currently undertaking the election process – Southampton-based Mi-Voice – was independent and has been used in selection processes for three SNP deputy leadership elections.
Sturgeon went on to say she is unclear about the allegations being made by the campaigns of Forbes and Regan.
"I am not absolutely clear what the specific allegations about the process are," she said. "This is a tried and tested process that the party has trusted for years.
"As far as I can tell, there are no specific concerns being raised, it’s a general concern, and I don’t think that general concern is justified.
"I have confidence, I have 100 per cent confidence, in the integrity of that system."
Meanwhile, Regan was unable to give any specific examples of issues with the voting system.
A senior source in her campaign last week said there were worries about votes from deceased party members or those who have allowed their membership to expire.
Addressing the use of Mi-Voice, Regan said: "They are an independent company but they’re also on contract to the SNP.
"Just for the sake of increased transparency, my view is it should be a separate company that the SNP don’t have an ongoing relationship with, and we’ve also called for an independent observer, just to oversee the process."
Asked if raising concerns without specific allegations is similar to the actions of former US president Donald Trump – who continues to cast doubt on the result of the 2020 US election – Regan said: "No, I don’t think so."
On Wednesday, Michelle Thomson – who is running the Forbes campaign – said some concerns are “based on hearsay or are from bad faith actors”, but she added: “However, others are being openly expressed by individuals within the SNP of longstanding.
“We all agree that the party must unify around any newly elected leader.
“I have asked that the SNP appoint a robust, experienced, third-party auditor of both the ballot processes and the eventual tally of the vote. This third party must have full oversight of all membership numbers, data and processes.
"This should be done without delay."
But the concerns were dismissed by fellow candidate Humza Yousaf, who hit out at the "baseless smears".
He said: "I have confidence in the process that uses an external third party company, a process we have used for many years.
"I am up for challenge & reform of the party, but let’s not indulge in baseless smears."
To sign up to the Daily Record Politics newsletter, click here.
