FIRST VOTES NEXT WEEK

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28429, 8 November 1957, Page 16

FIRST VOTES NEXT WEEK

Persons About To Go Overseas

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, November 7.

The first votes in the General Election will be cast next week. The Chief Electoral Officer (Mr L. Irwin) said in Wellington today that the electoral organisation was ready to receive the votes of an estimated 90.000 persons who could not get to a polling place in their electorate on November 30.

“With the closing of nominations for the election tomorrow, the official voting period opens, and I expect that the first votes will be cast on Monday by persons about to leave for overseas. and that there will be quite a steady movement of votes thereafter,” said Mr Irwin. He exolained that special votes included all votes that previously had been designated absentee or postal votes. Main Classes The mam categories of persons who could be expected to vote early as special voters were: Those who would on polling day be absent from New Zealand. Mr Irwin advised all those leaving the country from next Monday to vote before their departure. Those who were ill or infirm, and women who, because of approaching or recent maternity could not attend any polling place. Returning officers would be arranging for voting at all main hospitals. but persons who would be confined to their homes were asked to apply for their special voting papers. Those who would not be within two miles of the nearest polling place in their electorate. “These are the persons who should be among the early voters,” said Mr Irwin. The declaration form and special voting paper for their use would be available on request to any district returning officer from next Monday and their vote might be made by mail any time thereafter before the close of the poll. Of the other electors who could b- classified as special voters, the largest group were those who would be out of their electorates but inside the country on election day. Those could vote by mail if they wished, but as facilities existed at any polling booth on election day for the recording of a special vote for any electorate. Mr Irwin advises them to vote wherever they happen to be. Travellers in Country Those who should arrange to vote by mail, however, were persons who would be travelling within the country during the hours of polling, and unable to get to a booth. Other categories of special voters included those whose names were not on a printed roll, but who had applied for registration and were deemed eligible to vote. These could obtain special voting papers at any booth on election day. Persons having a religious objection to voting on the day on which polling will be held, and others who could satisfy a returning officer that they could not attend a polling place without undue hardship or inconvenience, could also make arrangements to vote by mail as special voters. Mr Irwin said that, special votes were not included in provisional returns on election day, but would be included in the official count that began the following week. At the last election, there were 82.000 such votes.