.>. .' , 4 7 I , C,; However, t h e C o u r t w e n t o n t o s a y t h a t " i f t h e e l e c t i o n was s u b s t a n t i a l l y a n e l e c t i o n by b a l l o t , t h e n no m i s t a k e s o r m i s c o n d u c t , however g r e a t i n t h e u s e o f t h e machinery o f t h e s t a t u t e govern- i n g e l e c t i o n s would j u s t i f y t h e t r i b u n a l i n d e c l a r i n g a n e l e c t i o n v o i d by t h e common law o r P a r l i a m e n t . The d e c i s i o n i n Woodward v . S a r s o n s was c r i t i c i z e d i n t h e judgment o f t h e C o u r t o f A p p e a l i n Morgan a n d O t h e r s v s . .. C & A n o t h e r ( 1 9 7 4 ) 3 ALL ER p . 7 2 2 . Simpson The c r i t i c i s m f o c u s e d o n two a r e a s o f t h e judgment: (a) The d e c i s i o n t h a t a n e l e c t i o n w i l l n o t b e v o i d e d by a n i r r e g u l a r i t y u n l e s s t h a t i r r e g u l a r i t y a f f e c t e d t h e r e s u l t and (b) t h e d i c t u m t h a t o n c e a n e l e c t i o n was s u b s t a n t i a l l y a n e l e c t i o n by b a l l o t s no i r r e g u l a r i t y however g r e a t c o u l d v o i d i-, T h i s c a s e c o n c e r n s a l o c a l government e l e c t i o n 4 4 b a l l o t s were r e j e c t e d b e c a u s e t h e y were u n s t a m p e d . had b e e n c o u n t e d , t h e p e t i t i o n e r , e l e c t i o n by 7 v o t e s . i n which I f they c a n d i d a t e would h a v e won t h e A s i t was t h e r e s p o n d e n t was d e c l a r e d t h e w i n n e r by 11 v o t e s . Lord Denning , i n d e l i v e r i n g ' - t h e l e a d i n g judgment i n t h e c a s e examined t h e h i s t o r y o f e l e c t i o n s a s w e l l a s t h e c a s e law and concluded a s under: (1 I f t h e e l e c t i o n was c o n d u c t e d s o b a d l y t h a t i t was n o t s u b s t a n t i a l l y i n accordance w i t h t h e l a w a s t o elections, the election is vitiated, irrespective