Postal voting: Police launch investigation

Friday 21st November 2008, 2:59PM GMT.

POLICE are investigating whether an election candidate or supporters in a St Helier district may have broken a new election law.

Assistant Judicial Greffier Advocate Paul Matthews contacted the police after a member of his staff became suspicious about some postal voting applications. It is believed that the applications in question had been made in relation to voters in St Helier No 2 District. The penalty, if found guilty of such an offence, is a fine of up to £2,000.

A new amendment to the Public Elections Law, which came into force on 31 October, makes it an offence for an election candidate or representative of a candidate to complete or assist a person to complete an application form to register as a postal or pre-poll voter.

Advocate Matthews confirmed to the JEP that it was brought to his attention last week by a staff member that there might have been irregularities with some postal voting application forms in a St Helier district. ‘I asked the police to carry out an investigation into possible irregularities,’ he said.

• Picture: The more direct way of voting

1
Sara

November 21, 2008 at 5:01 pm

If a candidate has broken the law then they should be disqualified from standing, after all it is cheating. Either that or their postal votes should be classed as no longer valid.

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2
Mammoth

November 22, 2008 at 9:25 am

I agree with Sara. If a person being elected cannot respect the law then they should not be allowed to stand in a position which entails the law maker process.

Why do candidates rely so much on postal votes anyhow? Whenever people get in as a deputy, the number of votes when compared to the potential turnout is never earth shaking as it is.

I guess thats why they call it a lessor role through the back door.

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