HOW TO VOTE

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 100, 28 April 1913, Page 6

HOW TO VOTE

ON WEDNESDAY NEXT. THE ISSUES OUTL.IJSTED. INSTRUCTIONS TO ELECTORS. Numerous inquiries reaching this office from correspondents indicates that there is still v good deal of misconception regarding the exercise of the franchise on Wednesday next, when, in the city and suburban boroughs various issues are to be submitted at the poll. ' In the city itself, the UT.OOO electors on the roll will be invited to vote on four separate issues, as follows:— 1. City Council. 2. Hospital and GlvaritaWc Aid Board 3. Harbour Board. 4. Half-holiday Poll. On the three last-mentioned issues practically all the suburban boroughs will also be called upon to vote, and in addition there will ue an election for borough councils in each municipality, as well as local loan, rating method, and other polls. Onehunga is the only municipality in which there is to be, in addition, a contest for the mayoralty. The franchise is a broad one. any person having a residential, property, or rental qualification being entitled to vote, provided that the s a.id person has taken the trouble to see that he or she (as the case may be) is en rolled. Kor the City Council there are 35 candidates, and IS seats. A correspondent wants to know whether '•plumping" is permitted. A ballot-paper is only informal when more than the required number of names is left on the list, and the elector may make a cross alongside one name only, or alongside anT number he chooses up to (in the case "of the City Council) the maximum of 18. The came provision applies to the election of five candidates to represent.the city of Auckland and the borough of 'Mount Albert on the Hospital Board, for which five seats there are eleven candidates, and to the election of three members of the 'Harbour Board to represent the city and the borough of Grej- Lynn, for which three seats there are four candidates. In the case of the half-holiday poll, there can hardly be any mistake, 6Hice the elector can only have one choice out of the six days. The ballot-paper will include the days from Monday to Saturday respectively, and the elector makes his cross opposite the day he favours for the observance of the regular half-holklay. A point to be remembered, however, is that if Saturday is the day for which most votes are lodged, it will be compulsory for shopkeepers in the city and the boroughfi of firey Lynn, Mount Eden, Mount Albert, ■Newmarket, Birkeuhead, and Northeote to oobserve the half-holiday on that day. The half-holidny poll will ha taken in all ithe districts above enumerated, and the 1 result will apply to them all.

Another point which must not be misunderstood is this: A resident of Birkenhcad may be enrolled in that sifburb on a residential qualification; he may own property in Newmarket, and be enrolled there as a ratepayer; he may have an office in the city for which ho pays a rental of £10 per year, and so entitled to enrolment on the city rolls. That person TOay vote in each district on local municipal "questions, but on the Hospital Board and Harbour Board issues ho must vote once only. It is true that in each district he would be handed 'ballotpapers for each election, hut if he has already voted at Birkennead on the Hospital Board and Harbour Board issue*, the onus rests upon him of returning the papers to the returning officer, with an intimation that he has already voted in another district. The fact that on the other side of the harbour he voted for quite a different set of candidates to those seeking to represent the city, or. again, to those seeking to represent Newmarket on cither of the two Boards mentioned, would not help him any. An overeight of the kind is likely to be attended by dire pains and penalties.

"The city Registrar of Elector* (Mr. O. "Hogan) is preparing for a heavy poll on the various issues, ami in tha city alone there will bo 1!) polling places ami 61 booths. He will be assisted by a staff of 130 men, ami polling ho—ra will be between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. The counting of the votes i.s naturally likely to be a somewhat strenuous undertaking, ns there are 50 candidates for the city seats on the local bodies mentioned, while the poll on the half-holiday question is sure to be a heavy one. The lirst results to bo made up will be those of the City Council, and it is likely that they will "be available at about 0 p.m. The next in order will be the. Hospital Board, which it is anticipated will bo ready a little after 10 p.m.. and after [that the. Harbour Board, while the halfholiday poll will be complete about midnight. Eleven of the old Councillors of the .Mt. Eden Borough Council arc standing for re-election, and make an announcement in another column. A well-attended meeting was held on Saturday evening in the Masonic Hall, at Devonport, when Mr Wm. Wallace (the sitting member) ii.ddrcw.sed the electors on Hospital and Charitable Aid matters. He stated that he was independent of any party, and would, if-re-elected, continue -to act in the best interests of the community. "Mctpptpprs Schofield, Potter, Nerhcuy, and Dr. Florence Keller also addressed the meeting, and, on the motion of Mr S. Macky, seconded by Mr G. Strude, a vote of thanks and confidence was carried unanimously. Messrs. A. G. Quartlcy and A. Nixon, who are seeking re-election to the Devonport Borough Council, addressed open-air meetings .at Devonport on Saturday night, and were accorded a, -good hearing. Mr. E. L. .Sturmfels, who is a candidate for -the Hospital Board, as representative of Devonport, also addressed the electors, Mr. P. M. Mackay speaking in conjunction with Mr. Sturmfels. They explained that they were not nominees of the British Medical Association, and that t-liey were not in any way opposed to friendly societies. Councillors Quartlcy and Nixon, present members of the Devonport Borough; Council, will address the electors at Marine Square, Devonport, at 7.30 tonight.