POLLING TO-DAY

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21533, 24 July 1935, Page 12

POLLING TO-DAY

OTE BY-ELECTION IN jLYTTELTON FOUR CANDIDATES TO CHOOSE FROM RESULTS EXPECTEJ) EARLY THIS EVENING Much intet-est will centre to-day on the Lyttelton electorate in its task of selecting a new member of Parliament. Voting will begin at 9 a.m. and conclude at 7 p.m., a half-holiday will be observed throughout the electoral;, and it is expected that the ;>oll will be a reasonably heavy one. The final results (on the first couni) should be available by 8.30 p.m. or shortly afterwards, and these, with the ,' progress returns, will be posted outside "The Press" building for the information of interested persons. The four candidates contesting the seat made vacant by the death of Mrs E. R. McCombs are as follows:

G. S. Hamilton (Independent)

E. L. Hills (Independent Labour). M. 15. Lyons (National Political Federation). T. 11. McCombs (Labour). The Campaign The size of the poll may be influenced by the approach of the general elections and by unpleasant weather, but it is not true to say that interest in the campaign has been slight. The Labour party, particularly, has made a determined effort to rouse intersst in the election, and the leaders of the party have taken a big part in their candidate's campaign. Mr Lyons, the National candidate, has fought his own campaign, without support from any outside speaker, and the two Independent candidates, Mr Hills and Mr Hamilton, have also conducted their own campaigns. The roll for the by-election contains 13,662 names, compared with 13,712 at the 1933 by-election and 12,625 at the 1035 general election. Two years ago 10.28E valid votes were recorded in Lytteltcn and in 193110,859 were polled. When Mrs McCombs was returned at the head of the poll only 74.58 per cent. of the enrolled electors recorded their votes. Polling Arrangements Full arrangements have been made by the returning officer (Mr J. J. McGahey) for to-day's polling, arid the staff he has engaged is capable of dealing with the votes of every elector on the roll. Mr McGahey expects the first result will come through shortly after 7 p.m. and that the final return will be announced a little more than an hour later. Votes from the Chatham Islands will be received by wireless on the night of the election, but absentee votes, postal votes, and sea•itien's votes will not be counted until the official check is being made. Electors of Lyttelton who are not in ,the electorate to-morrow may vote at any post office by declaration. The list of polling booths is as follows:

Akaroa—The Courthouse. Barry's Bay—The Public School. Cashmere Hills—Room in Middle Sanatorium, i .Cashmere Hill*—The Public School. Chatham Islands—Waitangi, old post office building. Chatham Islands—-Kaingaroa, the schoolhouse. Chatham Islands—Owenga, the school. Colombo street, at foot of Cashmere Kills—Cashmere Stores, Ltd. % Diamond Harbour—Tea kiosk. Duvauchelle —The Council Chambers. Governor's Bay—The Public School. Heathcote—The Public School. Le Bon's Bay—The Public School. Little Akaloa—The Public School. Lyttelton—The Colonists' Hall. Lyttelton—The St. John's Presbyterian Hall. West—The Anglican Schoolroom. Mou i Pleasant—Garage attached to the Mount Pleasant Store, Sumner road. , Okain'a Bay—The Public Hall. x Opawa—The Public School, Ford road. Opawa—Garage, residence of A. W. McKay, 314.Hi11s road. St. Martins. Pigeon Bay—The Public School. ,;Port Levy—The Public School. ' Hedcliff*—The Public School. Sumner—The Town Kail. T&kamatua—The Public School. *Teddlngton—The Public School. MVainui—■The Public School, Woolston—McDonald Hall, Aldwln's road. 1 Woolston—The Public School (principal). .-■> Woolston—St. John's Anglican Schoolroom. < Previous Contests ■ Elections in Lyttelton since 1!)25. when Mr Lyons won the seat on the casting vote of the returning officer » but was later unseated by the electoral i court, resulted as follows: } ' 1925 j Electoral Court's Declaration ; J. McCombs (Labour) .. 4900 .; M. E. Lyons (Reform) .. 4839 Majority for McComb3 .* 11 1928 .* J. McComba (Labour) ~ 5022 JJ. W. Beanland (Reform) .. 3038 W. T. Lester (United) .. 2734 Majority for McCombs '., 1988 1931 J. McCombs (Labour) ~ 5404 F. W. Freeman (Coalition) ». 5372 yf. L. Page (Independent) .. 33 Majority for McCombs ~ 32 1933 (By-elcotlon) Mrs E. E. McCombs (Labour) .. 6344 F. W. Freeman (Coalition) ~ 3875 E. L. Hills (Ind. Labour) ~ 269 Majority for Mrs McComb3 2669 DISPLAY OF RESULTS ARRANGEMENTS MADE BY %THE PRESS" The progress returns of voting in tht Lyttelton by-election' to-day will be posted prominently outside "The Areas" building as they come to hand '- - • this evening. Arrangements have been > , made to secure results immediately 1 fftey ara available, and it is expected J ■ Gtei intamted persons will be able to \ tellftw the fortune* of the candidates V tttm rtbortiy after 7 o'clock until the » * Kgptt&retarn is posted between 8 and 9 mi* '"-'<, aP^SS* 5 * Full an(i d etai l ed results will, M^'w^fflf? B** 8 ** a ffljf !W to-rnorrow'B issue