Legal Definitions - election petition

Election Petition

An election petition is a legal request made to investigate the validity of a member of Parliament's election. This is done when there are allegations of bribery or other reasons that may have affected the outcome of the election.

Example 1: A candidate who lost the election may file an election petition claiming that the winning candidate bribed voters to secure their victory.

Example 2: A voter may file an election petition claiming that they were prevented from voting or that their vote was not counted.

These examples illustrate how an election petition can be used to challenge the validity of an election. In the first example, the losing candidate is alleging that the winning candidate engaged in illegal activity to secure their victory. In the second example, the voter is claiming that their right to vote was violated, which could have affected the outcome of the election. An election petition is a way to investigate these claims and ensure that the election was conducted fairly and legally.