The Elections. THE TEMUKA SEAT.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3369, 23 December 1919, Page 5

The Elections. THE TEMUKA SEAT.

TIMARU, Dec. 22. g Additional absentee votes redueel Burnettfs (G) majority over Talbot! '(O) for the Temuka seat from 351:0] 29_ The official count is in progress. DUNEDIN SOUTH. 1 DUNEDIN, Dec. 22. The Dunedin South official count was completed at noon, and the result is:—Sidey, L. Paul, Lab. .. .. ' 4304 Informal .. 125 ' THE GROUNDS OF APPEAL. DUNEDIN, Dec. 22. In connection with the Dunedin South election, Mr W. R. Clarke, ‘scrutineer for Mr J. T. Paul, has for lwarded a communication. to the chief electoral officer, alleging certain irregularities during the re-count of the votes and the counting of ab.-sent votes. It is understood that legal advice is to be obtained to decide whother steps should be taken in the Supreme Court to have the election declared void_ Mr Clarke's letter ulleges that on his attending the r3turll- - ofl‘lcer’s oflice at 9 a.m. on the 19th, the place and hour appointed for the official re-count, he found seventeen. parcels of ballot papers had been opened and some 4000 papers numbered arithmetically, and such parcels had not been again sealed. These parcels had Ibeen tampered with by the returning ofiicer to the extent of opening the sealed -corners of such ballot papers, thereby disclosing the identity of ‘the voter; that an unlocked and unsealed ballot box had been usecl to receive and retain the absent vc~tcrs’ ballot papers; that the whole procoe:lings of the opening of parcels and counting of votes without giving Written notice to his candidate‘ _.,or his sorutineers, Was -a breach of the Legislature Act; that scrutiny of the rrlls should,’ in accordance with "the _l.sg—‘Elation .A.ct, have been precedent fro the ‘counting of Votes. I