THE ELECTIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 December 1919, Page 5

THE ELECTIONS.

DUNEDIN SOUTH SEAT. MR. SIDEY ELECTED/ By Telegraph—Press Association. Dunedin, Dec. 23. The Dunedin South official count has been completed, and gives the following:— T. K. Sidey (a.), 0. ........ 4381 J. T. Paul, Lab 4304 Informal 126 Majority for Sidey ...... 77 No change. (1914: T. K. Sidey, 6374} T. H. Dalton, 2C77). It is stated that irregularities in regard to the election are alleged, -and that Mr. Paul may demand a judicial investigation. IRREGULARITIES ALLEGED. SYSTEM OF COUNTING CRITICISED.

Dunedin, Last Night. In connection with the Dunedin South election Mr,' W. R. Clarke, scrutineer for Mr. J, T. Paul, has forwarded a communication to the Chief Electoral Officer alleging certain irregularities during the recount of votes and the counting of absent votes. It is understood that legal advice is to be obtained to decide whether steps should be taken in the Supreme Court to have the election declared void.

Mr. Clarke's letter alleges that on his attending the Returning Officer's office at 9 a.m. on the Iflth inst., the place and the hour appointed for the official recount, he found seventeen parcels of ballot papers had been opened and some four thousand papers numbered arithmetically, and such parcels had not been again sealed. These parcels had been opened on the previous day. and had. been left overnight in unsealed bundles. He declares that certain ballot papers had been tampered with by the Returning Officer 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 bos had been used to receive and retain the absent voters ballot- papers, find that the whole proceedings of open, ing the parcels and counting the votes without giving notice to his candidate or his scrutineer was a breach of the Legislature Act. THE TEMUKA SEAT. Timaru, Last Night. Additional absentee votes reduced Mr. Burnett's majority over Mr. Talbot for the Temuka seat from 35 to 29. ,The official count is in progress.