FIRST OFFICIAL COUNT

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21647, 4 December 1935, Page 12

FIRST OFFICIAL COUNT

MR SULLIVAN'S MAJORITY f INCREASED Avon is the first Christchureh electorate to complete its official count of the votes cast in the general election. The returning officer (Mr J. H. Robertson) announced yesterday that the official count increased Mr D. G. Sullivan's majority over Mr L. C. Walker from 5139 to 5410. The count was completed at 10.30 a.m., when the writ was endorsed and forwarded to Wellington. . Of the 14,153 electors on the Avon roll, 12,593 cast votes. The voting i was:— j D. G. Sullivan (Labour) .. 8,955 L. C. Walker (Independent) 3,545 ! Informal .. .. 93 Total .. 12,593 Majority for Sullivan .. 5.410 The total included five votes by declaration, 73 postal and seamen's votes, and 559 absentee. Nineteen votes that were declared informal on the night of the election were allowed subsequently by the returning officer. Fortyseven votes by declaration were disallowed, and 77 absentee votes were also discarded, through the voters not being on the rolL The work of the staff on election day and of the staff employed on the official count was praised by Mr Robertson. The number of votes telephoned from the booths on election night was proved correct in the official count. The quick verification of the absentee votes by the office of the registrar of electors (Mr J. J. McGahey) had contributed to the early completion of the count MR D. W. COLEMAN'S j MAJORITY INCREASED (rasas association teleqbah.) GISBORNE, December 3. The official count for the Gisborne seat is as follows: D. W. Coleman (Labour).. .. 6225 W. D. Lysnar (Independent) 4408 Mr Coleman's majority was increased from 1681 to 1817.

. RECORD POLL REVEALED (PBSSS ABSOCIATIOS TKJSOBAIf.) WELLINGTON, December 3. A record poll for the Hutt electorate and probably for New Zealand is revealed in the official count of votes, completed to-day. The figures are:— Walter Nash (Labour) 11,873, V. E. Jacobson (National) 4116, informal 304. Majority for Nash 7757. There are 17,786 electors on the roll and 16,293 votes were cast