Sonia Grant, who was defeated in last month's election for Mayor of Hamilton, has launched a legal bid to have the vote declared void.

Lawyer Miss Grant said she launched the petition among an alleged "avalanche of irregularities" relating to the poll that saw Sutherland Madeiros become Mayor.

She confirmed that if successful, she will run again for the post which carries responsibility for the city's $20 million annual budget.

"I cannot go into any details and I don't know if the Corporation is aware of this," she told The Royal Gazette.

"The petition is in my name as a candidate at the election. The Corporation is not a party (to the petition.) "

She declined to give any further comment.

Mr. Madeiros, an alderman before the vote, beat former Deputy Mayor Miss Grant by 161 votes to 124 on election night.

Both candidates carefully watched and noted each vote as it was pulled from the ballot box at City Hall.

A long-term friend of Jay Bluck, who died in September after just four months as Mayor, Mr. Madeiros, 61, said he wanted to accomplish their shared vision for the city.

Speaking immediately after her election defeat, Miss Grant told this newspaper: "There is no future role for me on the Corporation.

"It's at an end. I'm now going to get on with my law practice and my life and my family, and do something for myself for a change."

Both Mr. Madeiros and John Cooper, the Returning Officer who oversaw the election, confirmed yesterday that they were aware of the petition to have it declared void. Both said they were unaware of the details.

Mr. Madeiros said: "I would not be able to comment. I have no information to share. I don't even know what this thing is about."

Asked if he he had any concerns relating to alleged irregularities, he said: "I was satisfied with the way that election was conducted."

Mr. Cooper, an attorney with Cox Hallett Wilkinson, said he had no comment to make as he had not seen the petition.

Corporation of Hamilton Secretary Kelly Miller could not be contacted last night.

Miss Grant's law firm, Grant and Associates, filed the petition with the Supreme Court on November 20 but a note of this at the court registry gives scant details. Staff there said yesterday that legal papers setting out Miss Grant's case would not be available to the public until a court hearing. In most civil cases, this process takes several months of preliminary exchanges between lawyers.