resident magistrate for akaroa john watson removed campbell from the electoral roll on the grounds that he did not believe campbell met the property qualifications to either vote or stand for election. captain charles simeon, returning officer for the election, allowed campbell to be nominated, but at the same time impressed on electors the fact that if campbell received the most votes he would not be declared as superintendent. simeon stated that ""all votes for colonel campbell would be thrown away"". the new zealand spectator and cook's strait guardian stated: ""this seems to have acted very prejudicially to colonel campbell in the christchurch district, where the declaration was made, and to have lost him his election.""