"A COSTLY MISTAKE."

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18369, 30 April 1925, Page 13

"A COSTLY MISTAKE."

MISDIRECTION ON VOTING PAPERS. (ruts Assoeuxtair myii>ii.) AUCKLAND, April 29. Some time after the opening of the poll this morning, eoisteraatiea was caused among the officials at the maim polling-booth at the Tow* Ball by «** discovery that the ballot paper* for the election of the city members of the Harbour Board contained the w**»g direction. The ballot papers were headed: "City of Auckland. Election of three members of Auckland Harbour Board." Then followed the names of nine candidates, the voter being directed to place a. eresa against the names of the candidates for whom lie desired to rote. The amber of members to be returned for ft* city is four, not three. The mistake was not discovered until ma elector drew attention to it at about 9.30 aja-, or half-an-hour after the poll was opened. By that time two or three hundred electors had recorded their votes. • After the discovery was made polling clerks were set to work marking out the word "three" and substituting "four" in pencil. By taat time, however, it seemed probable that many of the electors had obeyed the erroneous instruction on their papers and voted for three candidates. Hew many did so vote will be discovered when the papers axe scrutinised after tho closing of the poll to-night. - It is considered inevitable that the result of this mistake will be a costly one, necessitating another election. The statement is made that it is eerItain that one of tho defeated caadi- ! dates will have the election upset.