The NDP filed an application to the Supreme Court on Monday asking that the result of the provincial election be thrown out and a new election take place.
NDP Leader Alison Coffin and a resident of St. John’s East-Quidi Vidi who says he was denied his right to vote, are the two applicants on the court challenge that includes a number of serious allegations against Elections NL and the way they handled the provincial election.
Coffin says the most important thing is to get democracy right and they need to know what happened in this election to ensure that it doesn’t happen in the next.
April 12, 2021: Claiming Charter Violations, NDP Petitions Supreme Court to Order New Provincial Election
Would-be voter Whymarrh Whitby says he never received his special ballot, despite multiple requests for one stemming back to February 13.
He says he made a request to the Elections NL ATIPP coordinator and received a reply that said his request for a ballot was received, that he made further calls requesting a ballot, and that he was never given a call back by Elections NL.
Whitby says what wasn’t confirmed by the ATTIP was if his special ballot was ever mailed out and says it’s disheartening to hear that some were offered an option to vote in person.
Provincial NDP President Kyle Rees doesn’t know how long the court process will take but says he believes it should be heard as soon as possible given the gravity of the application.
