Linda Mosher requests District 9 recount, alleges irregularities
Former Halifax regional councillor Linda Mosher wants a judicial recount of the ballots cast in the Oct. 15 municipal election in District 9.
Candidate Shawn Cleary defeated Mosher by 106 votes. Kyle Woodbury also ran for the seat.
In court papers Mosher filed this week at Nova Scotia Supreme Court in Halifax, she alleges that when the ballots were counted on Oct. 15 for the district, the election scrutineers were unable to get a close look.
"We've analyzed the results and we have questions about some of the irregularities that were reported on election day, both on the technological side and on the actual day of election side," said Mosher's campaign manager, Michael Kydd.
In a sworn affidavit, Kydd said Mosher got a text message from Jerry Reddick, a local hotdog vendor known as the Dawgfather PHD, alleging she had been cheated out of her seat by 311 votes.
"We've called out to Mr. Reddick. We've asked him to provide any evidence that he has of voter tampering or voter fraud and we haven't heard anything," Kydd said.
Mosher's campaign team reported the allegations to Halifax Regional Police.
Halifax Regional Police spokeswoman Const. Dianne Woodworth confirmed Thursday that police have concluded their investigation.
"There was just insufficient information to support any charges at this time," Woodworth said.
In the court papers, Kydd also said retired police officer Tony Burbridge, an election scrutineer, reported problems overseeing the counting of ballots at a Purcells Cove polling station.
Burbridge said during the count at St. John Baptist Church he had to stand in an area that was too far away from the person doing the counting.
"That's a breach of the Nova Scotia Elections Act right there," Kydd said. "On those grounds alone, that is something that we definitely feel we needed to be part of and again, one of the reasons we filed for judicial review."
No date is set for the court application.
