DECLARED VOID

Northern Advocate, 19 August 1935, Page 8

DECLARED VOID

A RIDING ELECTION. : i Per Press Association. — Copyright .l DANNEVIRKE, Saturday. Arising out of a by-election for the Norsewood riding of the Dannevirke 3 County Council to fill a vacancy caused by the death of a member, Mr ! Stout, S.M., has heard a petition signed ,by defeated candidates and five ratepayers, asking that the poll be de--1 dared void on the grounds of alleged irregularity. When the poll was pi’o-visional-ly declared, there was a double dead heat—a tie for both first and second places. After an official count by the returning officer, Mr H. A. Olsen was elected by a majority of one vote. Mr H. Frederickson, who figured in the tie for first place on the provisional count, was one of the petitioners to have the poll declared void. Albert O. A. Petersen, farmer, of Norsewood, stated in evidence that he had received rate demands for 1934 and 1935 which he paid on December 3 last. When he applied to the deputy returning officer for a voting paper on the day of the by-election, he was told that his name vfas not on the roll. He voted by declaration, but his vote was subsequently disallowed. The demand for rates was in bis name. The returning officer, Mrs F. M. Baker, stated in evidence that she had disallowed Petersen's declaration vote because she had no knowledge of his voting qualifications. The Magistrate safd that should have been sufficient notice that Petersen was the occupier of the property, j Petersen, when forwarding a postal note in payment of his fates, emphasised in a covering note that these were his rates that he was paying. That was sufficient knowledge to the local authority that he was entitled to vote. Petersen had not an opportunity to ascertain whether he was on the roll because the roll had not been deposited in the Norsewood riding. As ( there was only one vote between the parties, this might have affected the election. The Magistrate declared the election void, with costs totalling £4 14/6 ' against the returning officer. ' ■■==