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From the Smoky Lake Signal, November 21, 2001 Changes needed? From the Mailbag Faxed in by Elsie Duncan, a ratepayer in the Spedden area, was an article from the Lac La Biche Post. A new group called Public Advocates for Integrity in Government is challenging their local elections. They have hired a local lawyer, Richard Verhaeghe, to have the ballot boxes checked to make sure that nobody voted twice, both in the county and town elections. They want to ensure that those who did vote, did so legally. The lawyer, a spokesman for the group says it is not a vendetta against the mayor of Lac La Biche, Duane Young who won her second term as mayor, beating out candidate Brydon Ward by 34 votes, and second runner-up Ernie Sehn by 75 votes. But a judge's order is needed to open the ballot boxes to see if it was a fair election. If the number of contested ballots is more than the margin of victory, the matter could then be set for trial, says the Lac La Biche Post. People who cast their contested ballots would be asked to take the witness box and explain their action. In return for their testimony, the witnesses would not suffer legal consequences. They are free to testify without their own evidence incriminating them, said lawyer Verhaeghe. He said they would not be prosecuted. If there is enough evidence presented to the courts, the judge would have the power to call for a new mayoralty election or appoint the second place finisher as mayor. The cost of this legal venture could range anywhere from $20,000 to $75,000, and the entire process could take years to wind its way through the court system. It's a very complicated process, and very expensive, but my clients want justice to be done, said lawyer Verhaeghe. His clients are interested in making sure the election process remains untainted more than who will be the eventual winner. Said the editorial writer of the Lac La Biche Post, at the end of the day we can't criticize anyone whose goal it is to insure true democracy. The Smoky Lake Ratepayers group were impressed that there is another group, in Lac La Biche, trying for the same types of electoral fairness that they have brought to the County of Smoky Lake agenda. The Smoky Lake Ratepayers group has long asked for electoral lists and only one polling station per county division to avoid allowing anyone from voting twice. Return to the politics menu
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