Lt. Gov refutes allegations
election law was violated
PHILIPSBURG--President of the Main Voting Bureau Lt. Governor Franklyn Richards has refuted allegations by voter Oldain Hodge that aspects of the April 20 Island Council Election were not in conformity with the law.
Hodge made the allegation in a letter to the Main Voting Bureau in which he contended that the election had been held in violation of the law and a new election should be held.
He based his arguments on the change of polling station in St. Peters. He stated in his letter dated April 22 that ballots had been sent to the voters stating that they had to vote at St. Peters Hillside School, but the polling place had been changed subsequently to Rupert I. Maynard Community Centre.
He also contended that while citizens of the Dutch Kingdom could have only one address in the Kingdom and it should not have been possible for citizens living elsewhere in the kingdom, Aruba for example, to come to St. Maarten and vote, there were persons who had done so.
Hodge concluded that the voters’ register was not proper and was full of holes.
In his response to Hodge dated April 24, Richards explained that no “ballots” had been mailed to voters, but the voters had received “voting cards.”
Concerning the change of polling station, he said the voters had been informed of the change via letters. The information was also passed to the voters through the media and a notice was placed at Hillside Christian School on Election Day indicating that the polling station had been changed.
Moreover, all political parties had been asked to assist in communicating the change to the voters, Richards sated in his letter.
According to Richards, no reports were received from voters in St. Peters on Election Day indicating they had been hampered by the change of polling station. The voter turnout at the polling station was 78 per cent, higher than the overall turnout of 71 per cent.
In his response, Richards did not address the allegation about citizens residing elsewhere within the kingdom voting in the election. Neither did he address the contention that the voters’ register was full of holes.
Hodge was present at yesterday’s public session of the Main Voting Bureau and engaged Richards in a discussion during an adjournment of the session. He complained that Richards had not dealt with all the points he had raised in his letter. He said he did not agree with the explanations in Richard’s response and he would take the matter to court.
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