TIME OFF FOR VOTING

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25328, 30 October 1947, Page 8

TIME OFF FOR VOTING

AMENDMENT IN UPPER HOUSE DEFEATED

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, October 29. A move in the Legislative Council to eliminate from the Local Elections and Polls Amendment Eill the provision for workers to have time off after 3 p.m. on polling day was defeated on the voices to-day and the bill was passed.

The amendment was moved by Sir William Perry, and suggested that for this provision there should be substituted provision for workers to be given a period of one hour at any time of the day to register their votes. He said that if workers were let off, say between the hours of 10 and 11 a.m. or 2 and 3 p.m., or any other hour in the day, they would use the time to record their votes, but if let off work from 3 p.m, they would indulge in sport and other pastimes and would not use the time to register their votes.

The Leader «of the Council (Mr D. Wilson) said that in many cases two hours would be the least time necessary for workers to record their votes, as many of them had considerable travelling to do before they could vote. Sir William Perry said that with workers released at different periods during the day the pressure would be off the booths after 5 p.m. The bill was passed.