‘AN EXTRAORDINARY CASE’

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 70, 15 December 1928, Page 24

‘AN EXTRAORDINARY CASE’

ELECTOR VOTES TWICE. Alfred Grisedale appeared for sentence before Mr. Justice MacGregor in the Supreme Court yesterday on a charge of personation on the day of the general election in that having voted once, he applied again for a voting paper in his OM’n name. Prisoner, who had pleaded guilty to the offence in the Magistrate's Court on Thursday, was not represented by counsel. Mr. P. S. K. Macassey (Crown’Prosecutor) said he had nothing to add to the police report. It did not seem that there had been any wrongful intent in the action of the prisoner. His Honour said that the case was an extraordinary one. The young man had not been long in New Zealand and it was the first time he had voted at a general election. Shortly before the election he had been residing at Flagstaff Hill. He had recorded an absentee vote first at the Y.W.C.A. booth, which was in the Wellington Central electorate. When he told his friends, they informed him that he should have voted at Kelburn. He then on their advice went to the Kelburn Kiosk, which was in the Wellington Suburbs electorate and recorded an ordinary vote. “It is quite clear.” said His Honour, “th'/ he did not know he was doing anything wrong. He thought he would be fined if he did not go to Kelburn and vote. There is no occasion to impose a penalty in this case.” The prisoni M’as ordered to be discharged on the payment of £1 Is., the costs of the prosecution.