ELECTION PETITION

Waipa Post, Volume 44, Issue 3183, 28 May 1932, Page 8

ELECTION PETITION

HARBOUR BOARD MEMBER.

PLURAL-VOTING ALLEGED,

HAMILTON, Friday.

A petition has been lodged by William McDonald Paterson, farmer, Ngaruawahia, and 11 other electors in the combined district of the counties of Raglan, Waipa- and Waikato, the borough of Huntly, and the town district of Leamington, objecting to the representative of the district on the Auckland Harbour Board. The petitioners are supporters of Mr A. S. Sutherland, who was defeated by Mr Livingstone by two votes, and they claim that at the Matahura Polling booth, the returning officer was under the impression that electors were entitled to exercise a similar number of votes for the harbour board election as for the county council election, in' which up to thi’ee votes can be cast, according to the value of the property held by the elector. The petitioners state that while only 20 persons asked for voting papers at the Matahura booth., 49 votes were recorded, 32 going to Mr Livingstone, nine to Mr Sutherland, and eight to Mr Farrell. It is further stated that if the “ one man one vote ” principle were followed Mr Livingstone would lose more than two votes, and the seat woud consequently go to Mr Sutherland. It is further stated that the error was not discovered until 10 days after the date of the election, and it was then too late to apply for a re-count by- the returning officer. The petition has been lodged at the Hamilton Magistrate’s Court, and is being considered by Mr Wyvem Wilson, S.M. The election was held on May 11, and at the preliminary count Mr Sutherland was given 26 votes more than Mr Livingstone. When the official count was made a few days later, Mr Livingstone was declared elected by a Majority of two votes.