A supervised recount of general election ballots in Onchan constituency will take place in a courtroom at the Courts of Justice next week.

It follows a high court petition lodged by defeated election candidate Julie Edge.

Ms Edge is calling for the election result to be declared void, alleging the constituency's vote count did not comply with election law.

She claims 79 ballot papers were unaccounted for, candidates had insufficient opportunity to request a recount and postal votes were opened without notice.

A supervised recount will take place in courtroom 3 from 9.30am on Tuesday (November 10).

It will be conducted by Onchan deputy returning officer Jeremy Callin under the chief registrar's supervision, with Ms Edge and her counting agent present.

The other candidates who contested Onchan have been invited to observe the recount.

Members of the public will not be able to attend - but the media can.

Deemster Andrew Corlett has described the petition as ‘unprecedented’ and said a supervised recount was the ‘most pragmatic and sensible way to proceed’.

Ms Edge has acknowledged that the 79 unaccounted ballot papers would not change the result, but argues the discrepancy raises questions about the integrity of the count.

The former education minister, first elected in Onchan in 2016, failed to secure a third term in the September 24 general election.

She received 866 votes, finishing third behind Rob Callister, who secured 1,103, and first-time candidate Rachel Glover, who topped the poll with 1,245 votes and has since been appointed DEFA Minister.

Ms Edge told Media IoM following a court hearing into her petition last week: ‘The integrity of the election process and democracy is fundamental.

‘It’s an unprecedented situation. Unfortunately I had nowhere else to go – this was the only option.’