Stevenson demands re-election in Vancouver Burrard!

[HEyHEY]

This is off the NDP newswire. The whole situation is fucking disgraceful... 60 fucked up voted in an election won by 12 votes??!! FOR SHAME

Community leaders join in call for new election in Vancouver-Burrard

Elections officials made serious errors, now final outcome of vote on May 17 cannot be determined

VANCOUVER -- Community leaders are joining NDP candidate Tim Stevenson in calling for a new election to be held in Vancouver-Burrard because errors of elections officials have made it impossible to determine the final outcome of the May 17 election in that riding.

A judicial recount determined that there was a difference of just 11 votes in the race between Tim Stevenson and Liberal candidate Lorne Mayencourt.

But on June 6, during the judicial recount, Elections BC admitted that it was responsible for breaches of the Elections Act in Vancouver-Burrard. This meant that ballots cast by 60 eligible voters could not be counted.

"The people who live in this community will never know the results of all the votes cast on May 17," said Stevenson. "They did their part. Elections BC did not do theirs, and have publicly accepted responsibility for these errors."

"Elections BC has admitted they breached the Elections Act, and the effect of these breaches is quite serious," said Stevenson. "Simply put: no one knows who the voters chose to represent this riding. To carry on without settling this question would be a grave disservice not only to the voters disenfranchised by these actions, but to every voter in this community."

Stevenson has announced a petition to the Supreme Court of British Columbia asking that the election in Vancouver-Burrard be set aside. The petition argues that actions of Elections BC officials breached the Elections Act, and these breaches now make it impossible to accurately determine the result of the election in Vancouver-Burrard. If the court accepts that premise, a new election would result.

The petition is supported by Jim Deva, board member on the Davie Street Business Improvement Association, Blair Petrie, founder of the Mole Hill Housing Society, and Elaine Peacock, member of the board at the 411 Seniors' Centre.

"I support this court action. It is simply not acceptable to carry on when the democratic will of the people in this riding is left unknown because of the errors of Elections BC," said Deva. "It is only reasonable that a legitimate election now be held."

The petition was filed with the BC Supreme Court this morning.

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[SidDithers]

1. I should probably know this...

but was that the recent BC provincial election, or is that a federal by-election?

Thanks,

Sid

[HEyHEY]

3. BC

[Spazito]

2. I agree, if the ballots cast were legitimate and Elections BC

erred, as is stated in this article:

"...70 votes haven't been counted because Elections B.C. didn't sign and seal them properly."

It is interesting that they are now classified as 'spoiled ballots' by the judge in the judicial recount and, to be honest, a little worrisome. I thought spoiled ballots were ballots spoiled by the voter either inadvertantly or deliberately and didn't include errors made by officials in charge of validating the ballots.

Link to article:

http://www.canada.com/news/national/story.html?id=4b2e1b29-f6e2-4989-ba05-8df1cec9a467

[HEyHEY]

4. Exactly, if Mayencourt won by 400 votes it wouldn't be AS big a deal

BUt 60 votes in a riding that close? I don't give a fuck what EBC did, their fuckup shouldn't mean someone's vote doesn't count.