FARMER CHALLENGES ELECTORAL DECISION

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 544, 22 December 1928, Page 12

FARMER CHALLENGES ELECTORAL DECISION

BAY OF ISLANDS SEAT DETAILS OF PETITION Various unconventional voting papers are quoted by the supporters of Mr. Allen Bell in their petition against the return of Mr. H. M. Country Party candidate for the Bay of Islands seat. The petition is addressed to the Chief Justice and lodged in the name of J. W. McAulay, farmer, of Okaihau. In the opinion of the petitioner, there are 20 reasons why the election should be declared void. He declares that three electors voted for Mr. Bell by crossing out the names of all three candidates and writing in the name “Bell,” hut their votes were disallowed. One voter struck out the name of R. E. Horn blow, the third candidate, and that of Mr. Rush worth, hut left the name of Mr. Bell and added certain numerals. The paper was disallowed. He contends also that cne elector voted twice, that six patients in the Kawak.awa Hospital recorded postal votes which were not accepted, and that two Maoris voted illegally. The petitioner mentions the name of one voter who, he contends, had l<#t his qualification for registration, and alleges that the returning officer refused to allow Mr. Bell's scrutineer to inspect postal voting papers. Other allegations are that no justice was present at and no endorsement was secured, that an absentee voter’s paper was issued illegally, that one paper was lost, that two voters were not entitled to be on the rolls, that the returns from the booths were not correctly forward to the returning officer, that improper absentee votes were allowed as good, that another absentee vote, correctly applied for, was disallowed, and that three invalid votes were allowed in favour of Mr. Rushworth. The petitioner mentioned that three voters had made a series of closely set markings opposite the name of Mr. Rushworth, and these had been allowed.