Elizabeth Bye Election Results

The FNM has stated its belief that Duane Sands is the winner of the Elizabeth Bye Election, having received 1501 votes cast on white ballots and Ryan Pinder receiving 1499 votes also cast on white ballots.

The PLP does not accept that Duane Sands is the winner of the Elizabeth Bye Election that is why the Returning Officer is unable to declare and certify a successful candidate.

Assuming that the count of the white ballots is accurate (the PLP does not waive its right to challenge improperly counted and or rejected white ballots) the facts show that the Majority of votes cast i.e. 1504 were for Ryan Pinder.  5 votes were cast on a coloured ballot because of clerical errors by the Parliamentary Commissioner.

These voters ought not to be disenfranchised because of a clerical error by Parliamentary Commissioner.  The law provides for these voters to vote on a coloured ballot and for an Election Court to cure the clerical error of the Parliamentary Commissioner.

Further, there is no question that those 5 coloured ballots were marked properly for Ryan Pinder.

The law requires that in these circumstances, if so moved, the Election Court should consider whether these coloured ballots should be certified so as to enable the Election Court to declare Ryan Pinder the duly elected Representative of the Elizabeth Constituency.

The FNM knows the circumstances mentioned above and rather than waste the Election Court’s time and try to disenfranchise these 5 voters, the FNM should concede that Ryan Pinder is the winner of the Elizabeth Bye Election having had 1504 votes lawfully cast in has favour versus 1501 votes cast for Duane Sands.