Vote socks fraud election annulled

The ‘fraudulent’ municipal election results of Perpignan have been annulled by a court in Montpellier.

Protests took place the day after the election in March after the brother of a UMP politician who was head of a polling booth was found with votes stuffed down his socks.

Marchers brandished clothes lines lined with socks.

UMP candidate Jean-Paul Alduy won by just 574 votes against his Socialist Party rival Jacqueline Amiel-Donat.

The judge ruled that, alongside the ‘sock fraud’ the number of envelopes collected had been different from the number of people who had voted.

The tribunal administratif de Montpellier has said that the next election must be watched by a tribunal judge.

The request will go to the commissaire du gouvernement who can reject it.

Photo: Protests after the election. Afp Raymond Roig