The trial into last September’s provincial election results in the Saint John Harbour riding has begun.
Liberal candidate Gerry Lowe won the election by 10 votes over Progressive Conservative candidate Barry Ogden.
But Ogden wants the results overturned, alleging there were dozens of voting irregularities.
Richard Thorne, a field liaison officer with Elections New Brunswick, took the stand Monday morning as Ogden’s only witness.
The former teacher at Saint John High School and Rothesay Netherwood School has been involved with 21 “electoral events.”
The court hearing involving the Saint John Harbour election results is set to begin this morning at the #SaintJohn Law Courts. A total of five days have been set aside. pic.twitter.com/1id4JGwdAN
— Brad Perry (@BradMPerry) June 24, 2019
Thorne testified about the poll officials he worked with during the election, including Nathan Davis, who was the training officer for the riding.
He told the court Davis started teaching the wrong course during his first training session and later failed to have the participants go through a mock poll.
Thorne says he made Elections New Brunswick officials aware of the situation. Davis resigned about a week before the election, he said.
Before Thorne began his testimony, there was debate between lawyers for Ogden and Lowe about whether he should be allowed to testify.
Lowe’s lawyers pointed to a provision in the Elections Act which states parties must include a list of witnesses they intend to call. But Justice Hugh McLellan came to the conclusion the regulation is “not a bar” to calling Thorne as a witness.
Five days have been set aside for the trial.
