SICK AND POSTAL VOTES

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27407, 21 July 1954, Page 6

SICK AND POSTAL VOTES

NEW SYSTEM FOR NEXT ELECTION “The Press” Special Service DUNEDIN, July 20. The amount of travelling time needed to record the votes of sick persons for the general election in November will be reduced by a new scheme to be introduced by the Government. Advice to this effect has been received by Mr J. G. Barnes, M.P., from the Minister of Justice (Mr T. C. Webb). New postal regulations are to be published in ample time before the election to enable voting papers to be issued if the person applying for them signs a statement to the effect that he is authorised to do so on behalf of the elector. In most cases this will mean that only One visit need be made to the elector and to the returning officer for the electorate.

The agent for the elector, for instance, acting on a telephone request from the voter, will be able to obtain the papers from the returning officer and return them to him after they have been delivered to the voter.

Thus, only one inward and outward journey from the voter to the returning officer will be involved. Another improvement to the electoral system will be in a new plai 4 for postal voting. A voting pape similar to the one used for ordinar voting will be used. The names of a 1 the candidates for the electorate wil be printed on it. The voter will strike out the narn^ r of those for whom he does not wish to vote. This will bring uniformity in design for all forms of voting papers and the possibility of abuse will be virtually eliminated.