THE WAKANUI ELECTION PETITION.

Evening Star, Issue 5914, 23 February 1882, Page 2

THE WAKANUI ELECTION PETITION.

Judgment was given yesterday in the Wakanui election petition. The Court declined to interfere with the voting of aliens and minors, ruling that the appearance of their names on the roll was conclusive of their right to vote, but they upheld the clause in the petition praying the voiding of the election because it was proved that the returning officer had improperly struck off good votes found to have been given in the petitioner's favor on a scrutiny of the ballot papers. In regard to the cases where other persons of the same name had voted, thus making cases of dual voting, by allowing such votes the majority of the respondent was reduced one ; and because the deputyreturning officer at the Rakaia booth had illegally refused to permit three qualified persons to vote, whose so doing might have altered the result of the election, the Court held the election void. —Costs to follow the event. Mr Ivess has not been declared elected for Wakanui, the election being merely declared void on account of irregularities in the roll, and both candidates can stand again.