1 C ' . , 1 i t w o u l d b e s u f f i c i e n t t o show t h a t t h e p r o c e s s o f f r e e a n d f a i r e l e c t i o n s would b e s u b s t a n t i a l l y d i s t o r t e d o r s u b v e r t e d b y t h e irregularity. An e l e c t i o n i s n o t t o b e u p s e t f o r a n i n f o r m a l i t y or for a triviality. The i r r e g u l a r i t y m u s t b e s o m e t h i n g s u b s t a n t i a l w h i c h i s c a l c u l a t e d t o a f f e c t t h e r e s u l t of t h e e l e c t i o n e v e n t h o u g h i t may n o t a c t u a l l y a f f e c t i t . The C o u r t m u s t l o o k t o t h e s u b s t a n c e o f t h e c a s e and t o a s c e r t a i n w h e t h e r t h e i r r e g u l a r i t y i s o f s u c h a n a t u r e a s t o be f a i r l y c a l c u l a t e d t o produce a s u b s t a n t i a l e f f e c t /. C-'' upon the election. However, a f a i l u r e t o o b s e r v e s t a t u t o r y r e q u i r e m e n t s f o r t h e c o n d u c t o f t h e p o l l m u s t b e m e t by s t i f f e r p e n a l t i e s . how t r i v i a l a n i r r e g u l a r i t y may b e , mere i r r e g u l a r i t y . No m a t t e r i t must n e v e r b e condoned as a The p u n i s h m e n t p r o v i d e d i n t h e A c t m u s t b e S u f f i c i e n t t o a c t as a d e t e r r e n t . a proper construction of Section 37(e) of I n my j u d g m e n t , t h e E l e c t i o n P e t i t i o n s (Amendment) A c t 1 9 7 7 , i s t h a t a n y i r r e g u l a r i t y ( L which would l e a d t o a s u b s t a n t i a l d i s t o r t i o n or s u b v e r s i o n o f t h e p r o c e s s o f f r e e and f a i r e l e c t i o n s whether it a f f e c t s t h e r e s u l t of a m a j o r i t y o r n o t w o u l d b e v o i d b o t h a t common l a w a n d u n d e r the statute. I now t u r n t o t h e a p p l i c a t i o n o f t h e s e p r i n c i p l e s o f l a w t o - t h e f a c t s i n t h i s case. ? The a p p l i c a n t h a s p l a c e d 1 8 a f f i d a v i t s b e f o r e t h e C o u r t d e a l i n g w i t h 50 i r r e g u l a r i t i e s r e l a t i n g t o 8 p o l l - ( ; ing Divisions. PD.57, PD.58, T h e s e P o l l i n g D i v i s i o n s are PD.23, PD.64, PD.71 & PD.49, PD.56, PD.72. The e v i d e n c e b e f o r e t h e C o u r t a d d u c e d by t h e C o n s t i t u t e d Authority is uncontradicted. N o evidence has been p u t forward t o