~ l t h o u g ht h e p r e l i m i n a r y S t a t e m e n t o f P o l l s h o r ~ e dW a r r e n a l a k e 1 8 6
Andrew H o l n e s s 6 a n d S t e v e D a l e y 0 ,
found d i s f i g u r e d .
a t t h e f i n a l c o u n t 128 b a l l o t s w e r e
A t t h e f i n a l C o u n t i t w a s W a r r e n B l a k e 5 9 , Andrew
~ o l n e s s5 a n d S t e v e D a l e y 0.
There w e r e 128 r e j e c t e d b a l l o t s .
The p r e s i d i n g o f f i c e r deponed t h a t no b a l l o t s w e r e d i s f i g u r e d
a t preliminary count and 3 b a l l o t s w e r e unaccounted for.
The b a l l o t b o x h a s b e e n t a m p e r e d w i t h a n d t h e number o f
electors on t h e l i s t o f electors f o r t h e p o l l i n g , s t a t i o n (192)
i s m o r e t h a n t h e d i f f e r e n c e i n t h e number o f v o t e s c a s t f o r Andrew
H o l n e s s a s a g a i n s t Warren B l a k e ( 1 5 3 ) .
The b a l l o t b o x m u s t h a v e b e e n t a m p e r e d w i t h e i t h e r o n i t s
way t o t h e c o u n t i n g c e n t r e o r a t t h e c o u n t i n g c e n t r e o r s o m e t i m e
b e t w e e n December 1 8 , 1 9 9 7 a n d December 2 2 ,
1997.
The t a k i n g o f
t h e P o l l i n PD.64 i s v o i d .
T h e r e was a n i m p r o p e r r e m o v a l o f p o l l i n g d i v i s i o n .
Thc
evidence disclosed a lack of security a t the proper location, a
t h r e a t o f v i o l e n c e a g a i n s t t h e P r e s i d i n g o f f i c e r o r I n d o o r Agent.
A f i r e a r m was s e i z e d o n t h e p r e m i s e s a t t h e p o l l i n g s t a t i o n a n d
t h e r e was i n t i m i d a t i n g b e h a v i o u r d i s r u p t i n g t h e p r o c e s s o f e l e c t i o n s .
A t t h e f i n a l count t h e b a l l o t s f o r t h e p o l l i n g d i v i s i o n w e r e missing.
.
Consequently they w e r e n o t included i n t h e f i n a l count.
Section
77 o f t h e R e p r e s e n t a t i o n o f t h e P e o p l e A c t r e q u i r e s
t h e presence of adequate security to ensure the process of f r e e
and f a i r e l e c t i o n s .
~ d d i t i o n a l l y ,it p r o v i d e s t h a t d u r i n g t h e
p o l l n o p e r s o n i s t o h a v e i n h i s p o s s e s s i o n a n y weapon w h i c h i s
c a p a b l e o f i n f l i c t i i g i n j u r y w i t h i n 1 0 0 metres o f a n y b u i l d i n g