DUAL VOTING ADMITTED

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 December 1946, Page 4

DUAL VOTING ADMITTED

WOMAN COMMITTED FOR SENTENCE CASE Al NEW PLYMOUTH NEW PLYMOUTH, Dec. 11. Elsie May Richardson, a widow, aged 45 years, of Young street, New Plymouth, who, in a statement to the police, said that she had voted at every general election since she became of age, was this morning committed for sentence at the next sitting of the Supreme Court at New Plymouth, for the offence of personation during the general elections, on November 27. The accused who pleaded guilty, was allowed bail in her own recognisance of £ 100, conditional upon her reporting to the police once a week. Inspector D. J. Hewitt conducted the' prosecution. Mr. D. R. Jamieson appeared for the accused. Leslie William Louisson, returning officer, told the court that during the scrutiny of the roll used at the general election, his attention was drawn to the fact that accused had apparently voted both at St. Aubyn St. Hall and also at the Courthouse. He sent Richardson a telegram asking her to come to see him. As a result of conversation with her, he informed the Inspector of Police. He produced a roll showing that accused had been ruled out as having voted at St. Aubyn St. Methodist Hall, and also a marked roll showing that accused had been ruled out as having received a ballot paper at the Courthouse. He also produced counterfoils of the ballot papers issued at both booths. Louisson stated that accused was very frank, and assisted him in every way to clear up the matter. She did not at first appear to realise the seriousness of the position. Ballot papers produced showed that votes had actually been cast.

In reply to Mr. Jamieson, Louisson said that when accused came and saw him, he was not at all suspicious of malpractice. “I asked her,” he said, “where she voted, and she replied ‘I voted twice.’ When asked for the reason, she told me in these words: ‘I did not know it was wrong to vote twice’.”

Both votes were disallowed as required by law. In addition to the case" of dual voting heard to-day, there have been two other instances of dual voting where two very elderly persons had voted by postal vote some days prior to the election, and again as ordinary voters on election day. Both cases have been investigated by the returning officer, who recommended that owing to the advance of senility of the voters concerned, no prosecution should be instigated.