9 Oct 2014

Harawira awaits vote comments

6:48 pm on 9 October 2014

The judge responsible for a recount requested by Hone Harawira has not yet addressed issues the Internet Mana leader put to the Electoral Commission about the voting system.

Internet Mana leader Hone Harawira.

Internet Mana leader Hone Harawira. Photo: RNZ / Kim Baker Wilson

Mr Harawira said some polling booths in his Te Tai Tokerau electorate did not have any Maori roll voting papers, voters had long distances to travel to cast their votes, and some people were turned away because they did not have their EasyVote cards.

Mr Harawira applied for a recount of the almost 22,000 votes cast after losing the Maori seat to Labour's Kelvin Davis by 739 votes. This has resulted in Mr Davis extending his lead by two votes to 9712.

A spokesperson for the commission said District Court judge Tom Broadmore is expected to respond to Mr Harawira's complaints in the next few days.

Mr Davis said he still thinks Mr Harawira's complaint about the system is a red herring and believed the commission does make it easy for voters.

Mr Harawira needed to accept the results and move on, Mr Davis said.

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