DISPUTED ballot papers will be re-examined today, after a judge authorised what is effectively a recount.
An examination of ballot papers will be performed at Darlington Town Hall this afternoon, after it emerged last week that some postal votes cast in the Hurworth ward may not have been counted at the local elections earlier this month.
Even if the result from the recount is different from the result that was declared, the amended result will not automatically stand, because a petition to change the result would need to be lodged from a challenger.
A short hearing at Middlesbrough County Court this morning confirmed that the sealed ballot papers could be re-opened and an examination take place.
It is feared an estimated 500 postal votes may have been verified - but crucially not counted - at the count on May 7.
It remains to be seen how this will affect the declared result, which saw Conservative Lorraine Tostevin (653 votes) and Liberal Democrat Joe Kelley (582 votes) elected to the ward's two seats, while his wife Claire (531 votes) missed out.
This is the second fiasco to hit Darlington Borough Council in the recent election cycle, after the name of UKIP Parliamentary candidate was missed off dozens of ballot papers sent to Whessoe polling station.
More on this story later
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