MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 33, 9 February 1928, Page 20

MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

MARKING OF VOTE PAPERS.

MANY CHANGES PROPOSED,

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, this dav.

The rule brought down just prior to the last municipal elections that voters should strike out the names of candidates who -were not wanted (in place of marking with crosses the names of favoured candidates) gave rise to a good deal of confusion, and was generally adversely commented upon. Several suggestions bearing on the point will be discussed during the Municipal Associations' Conference at Nelson.

The executive committee is taking forward a proposal that a new form of voting paper with detachable seals should be adopted. The idea is to make the paper pretty well foolproof. If there are 12 vacancies to be filled out of 30 candidates, the voting papers will be provided with 12 perforated sticker seals, to be torn off and stuck opposite the 12 names selected. It would, therefore, be impossible for a voter to render 1 his ballot paper void by voting for too many candidates, unless, of course, a previous voter had not exercised his full vote and had left stickers lying about. Christchurch and Invercargill wish to see a return made to the former system of placing crosses opposite the names of candidates, and another proposal is that striking out or marking with crosses should be optional. Still another is that the elector should number the names of the candidates for whom he wishes to vote, 1 to 12 for instance, and should strike out the remaining names. The idea here is not a matter of preferential voting, but a means whereby the difficulty experienced by many voters in leaving the correct number of names would be overcome.

It is further proposed, by the Invercargill Council, that the Act should be amended by making it legal to issue postcards to all qualified electors prior to the election, such cards to be presented to deputy returning officers by the voters iu exchange for voting papers.

Wellington and Whangarei are both suggesting that provision should be made for absent voters' permits, as in the case of Parliamentary elections and polls, and Invercargill wishes to see provision made to permit of the ■widows of deceased ratepayers whose properties are being administered by the Public Trustee or other executor, to vote as ratepayers instead of as residents.