Magisterial recount for Cornwall Mountain division to continue tomorrow

The magisterial recount for the Cornwall Mountain division in Westmoreland is to continue tomorrow in the parish court.

Following the local government election on February 26, the Jamaica Labour Party's Dawnette Forster was declared the winner after receiving 1,497 votes to People's National Party's Abigail Malcolm's 1,470 votes.

Among other things, Malcolm's lawyers Maurice McCurdy and Clayton Morgan are seeking to get some ballots rejected.

They made submissions to the court concerning polling station 140, arguing that approximately 90 ballots were defaced due to poor handling by the presiding officer.

If rejected, the PNP lawyers are hoping that this will result in a favourable outcome for their client. 

“A large number of ballots were defaced, almost 90, where the tops were removed from all of them, which is an unusual event,” Morgan told The Gleaner at the end of Wednesday's recount before Senior Parish Court Judge Steve Walters.

“It is for the judge to decide whether he will accept them as valid ballots. If he does, then the applicant will not be successful in her quest to become the councillor for the division,” the lawyer stated.

“If the judge rejects them, then she has a good chance of succeeding,” he added.

Foster's lawyer Charles Sinclair argued against the submission, asserting that an effort is being made to go against the wishes of voters.

“People go out and take the time to vote and their vote must be counted. And I found it a little troubling with some of the submissions made by Mr [Maurice] McCurdy for the PNP,” Sinclair argued.

- Albert Ferguson

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