Former Onchan MHK Julie Edge is going to court tomorrow to attempt to have her election defeat declared void.
Edge, who came third in the House of Keys election for Onchan, meaning she lost her seat, claims that anomalies at the count call it into question.
She has lodged a petition to be considered in the Chancery Court tomorrow morning (October 29).
The former minister’s petition states: “The fact that ballot papers verified at the count are not accounted for calls the integrity of the count into question.”
She told Manx.News: “Election results should be beyond doubt.”
Her petition calls for an inquiry into events at the count including the number of ballot papers issued, verified, counted and rejected at the election and the distribution of votes.
It seeks for the court to determine the election was “not substantially in accordance with the law” and the matters raised affected the result
It subsequently calls for the election result to be declared void and that the two successful Onchan candidates in the general election, Dr Rachel Glover and Rob Callister were “not duly elected”.
In addition, she wants the court to certify such a decision in writing to the Speaker of the House of Keys so that a new election could be called for in Onchan.
Votes Not Accounted For
Her petition alleges that 79 votes verified at the Onchan count on election night were not accounted for either in the breakdown of votes or in the rejected papers.
She says the notice of result mis-states the number of voters whose ballot papers were not rejected and also says candidates were “not given a reasonable opportunity to ask for a recount before the result was declared”.
The petition also claims that postal ballots were opened without giving her notice and in the absence of her counting agents.
The case is due to be heard in the morning by Deemster Corlett. The respondents listed are Jeremy Callin, who was the Deputy Returning Officer at the count, and Attorney General Walter Wannenburgh.
At the general election, on October 26, the result was: Rachel Glover, 1,245 votes; Rob Callister, 1,103; Julie Edge, 866; Peter Karran, 738; Gabriella Corkish, 725; Oliver Lockwood, 50.