2018 Wallis and Futuna's 1st constituency by-election

A by-election was held in Wallis and Futuna's 1st constituency on 15 April 2018. The by-election was called after the Constitutional Council invalidated the election of Napole Polutele, miscellaneous left candidate in the June 2017 legislative elections and member of the UDI, Agir and Independents group in the National Assembly, on 2 February 2018. Sylvain Brial defeated outgoing deputy Polutele in the first round of the by-election on 15 April.

2018 Wallis and Futuna's 1st constituency by-election
15 April 2018
Turnout83.02% 1.75%
 
Nominee Sylvain Brial Napole Polutele
Party DVG UDI–REM
1st round
%		 3,656
51.61% 5.42%		 3,428
48.39% 1.85%
Deputy before election

Napole Polutele
UDI

 Elected deputy

Sylvain Brial
DVG

Background

In the 2017 legislative elections, miscellaneous left candidate Napole Polutele was elected in the first round with 50.24% of the vote against another miscellaneous left candidate, Sylvain Brial, who obtained 46.19% of votes, and Hervé Michel of The Republicans (LR), who secured 3.57% of the vote. Polutele, one of four deputies elected in the first round of the legislative elections,[1] sponsored the candidacy of Emmanuel Macron in the presidential election and announced that he would sit with the presidential majority in the National Assembly;[2] he ultimately joined the Constructives group as a related member, having sat as a member of the Socialist group in the previous legislature.[3]

After the election, Sylvain Brial decided to appeal the result to the Constitutional Council, claiming to have discovered irregularities in electoral lists and proxy votes.[4] On 2 February 2018, the constitutional council ruled to void the election of Polutele. Under article L. 64 of the electoral code, should a voter be unable to sign the electoral roll at a polling station, the signature affixed, as required the third paragraph of article L. 62-1, should read "l'électeur ne peut signer lui-même" ("the voter cannot sign themselves") and be provided by a voter of their choice. However, 36 voters merely inscribed a "single cross" that could not be considered a signature, in addition to one voter unable to sign themselves whose vote was accompanied by the signature of another voter. Furthermore, 21 proxy votes were discarded under article R. 75 of the electoral code, either because no signature was given, or because a cross was provided rather than a signature. Because 57 votes were deducted and Polutele avoided a second round by only 16 votes, the constitutional council invalidated the election, triggering a by-election within three months.[5][6]

On 2 March 2018, the first round of the by-election was scheduled for 15 April 2018, with a second round on 22 April if no candidate secured a majority of votes in the first round.[7]

After his defeat, Polutele filed an appeal with the constitutional council on 26 April.[8]

2017 election result
Candidate Party First round
Votes %
Napole Polutele DVG 3,436 50.24
Sylvain Brial DVG 3,159 46.19
Hervé Michel Delord LR–UDI 244 3.57
Votes 6,839 100.00
Valid votes 6,839 99.23
Blank votes 31 0.45
Null votes 22 0.32
Turnout 6,892 81.27
Abstentions 1,588 18.73
Registered voters 8,480
Source: Ministry of the Interior

2018 by-election result
Candidate Party First round
Votes % +/–
Sylvain Brial DVG 3,656 51.61 +5.42
Napole Polutele UDI–REM 3,428 48.39 –1.85
Votes 7,084 100.00 –
Valid votes 7,084 99.45 +0.22
Blank votes 20 0.28 –0.17
Null votes 19 0.27 –0.05
Turnout 7,123 83.02 +1.75
Abstentions 1,457 16.98 –1.75
Registered voters 8,580
Source: Préfecture de Wallis et Futuna
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References
  1. Thomas Liabot (11 June 2017). "Législatives : qui sont les quatre candidats élus dès le premier tour?". Le Journal du Dimanche. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  2. "Résultat des législatives 2017 : Napole Polutele réélu à Wallis-et-Futuna". Le Monde. 12 June 2017. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  3. David Ponchelet (27 June 2017). "Assemblée nationale : dans quels groupes politiques sont inscrits les députés des Outre-mer ?". Outre-mer 1ère. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  4. Fatima Maniulua; Leone Vaitanoa (8 July 2017). "Législatives: Sylvain Brial donne les raisons de son recours devant le conseil constitutionnel". Wallis et Futuna 1ère. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  5. "Décision n° 2017-5162 AN du 2 février 2018". Conseil constitutionnel. 2 February 2018. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  6. Mirna Kilama; Olivier Murat (5 February 2018). "Elections/émargements : croix, signatures que dit le code électoral". Wallis et Futuna 1ère. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
  7. "Décret n° 2018-145 du 1er mars 2018 portant convocation des électeurs pour l'élection d'un député à l'Assemblée nationale (circonscription des îles Wallis et Futuna)". Légifrance. 2 March 2018. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  8. "Législative partielle 2018 : Napole Polutele candidat battu a déposé un recours". Wallis et Futuna la 1ère. 30 April 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
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