CLOSE POLLING.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 64, Issue 1, 12 October 1943, Page 4

CLOSE POLLING.

THE FIGURES FOR EDEN SEAT. t LABOUR NOW 10 VOTES AHEAD. Further results of service voting in the General Election have been received by the Chief Electoral Officer, says a Press Association message from Wellington. He said that the Middle East forces votes had provided fairly accurate progressive totals. The Pacific forces votes included in the figures to date were the preliminary count, as tire official count could not be concluded until the returning officer had received back all voting material from outlying stations. Mr Irwin added that the majority of the Pacific figures were included in the preliminary returns.

With four distinct stages in the counting of votes so far, the position in the Eden electorate is most interesting. The first count of ordinary votes gave Lieutenant-Colonel Fortune (Nationalist) a lead of 141, but the addition of the first service total put Mr Anderton (Labour) 95 ahead. Lieutenant-Colonel Fortune was in front again after the official count of all ordinary votes with an over-all margin of 18. Mr Anderton has now picked up these 18 and gained another 10. There are still sorntf returns to come.

Mr Irwin’s statement last evening did not indicate what proportion of votes not included in figures announced on the night of the election had since come to hand. He had earlier estimated these to number 20,000, made up as follows: —Canada, 150; Middle East, 2000; Pacific, 6000; including 2000 declaration votes; New Zealand, 12,000. The number of service votes taken into account in the figures announced on election day was 73,000. Detail's are: *W. T. Anderton (L.) .. .. 7204 W. H. Fortune (N.) .. .. 7194 T. M. Dixon (D.S.L.) .. .. 725 Mrs G. Brooks (R.D.) .. .. 299 D. 11. C. Wilson (1.G.) .. .. 198 Majority for Anderton .. 10