The case is unusual to say the least. The administrative court of Bastia has validated the election of a deceased municipal councilor, in the town of Pietra-di-Verde in Haute-Corse, reports Le Point. A total of 22 candidates were in the running in the first round of the municipal elections, in this small village of less than 1,000 inhabitants, voting by multi-member ballot. On March 15, eleven advisers had been appointed.
READ ALSO >> Corsica: a preliminary investigation opened for suspicion of electoral fraud in Bastia
Problem, one of them died on March 6, nine days before the election. His death occurred between the time of the close of nominations and the first round of voting. However, this did not prevent the small village from voting for him, the latter even winning the comfortable score of 57% of the votes.
Faced with this ludicrous situation, the prefect of Haute-Corse seized on March 20 the administrative court of Bastia to cancel the election of the said municipal councilor. The representative of the State asked to proceed to a second round, to allocate the seat left vacant. But his request came up against a legal void, which led the court to dismiss his appeal.
“There is no need to cancel the election of this municipal councilor nor, consequently, to organize a second ballot to fill the seat of the latter”, write the administrative judges in their judgment, consulted by Point. Against all odds, the man therefore officially became a municipal councilor in his town … posthumously.
