POLLING TODAY

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28448, 30 November 1957, Page 14

POLLING TODAY

First Results About 7.15

First progress results of voting in the General Election today are expected to be broadcast about 7.15 p.m.

Polling booths will open at 9 a.m. and Close at 7 p.m. All those in Canterbury and Westland have been advertised in “The Press. -

To decide who shall govern New Zealand for the next three years, 1,244,550 persons are entitled to go to the polls. In the 79 electorates—7s European and four Maori—in which there will be voting today, there are 255 candidates.

It is the second time since 1935 that there has been a third party offering candidates for all seats.

The election will decide the constitution of the thirty-second Parliament. In 1954, when there were 1,199,242 persons ’ enrolled, 45 National candidates and 35 Labour candidates were returned as members of Parliament. The National, Labour and Social Credit parties have put up candidates in every constituency, but one of them—the Labour candidate for Clutha—died yesterday. Accordingly, there will be no poll in Clutha today. Another writ will have to be issued and fresh nominations called. After sufficient time has been given for nominations, a polling day (a Saturday) will be fixed between three and four weeks ahead. It is considered that the earliest the Clutha election could be held is late January.

The Liberal organisation, which originally announced that it would contest every seat, has ended Hy having candidates in only two, Patea and Manawatu. Other candidates come under the heading of Independent Constitutionalist and Independent Ratana, and there are also Independents of the three main parties. ■ The Communist Party has five candidates, in Westland and (he four main centres. No electorate has fewer than three candidates. There are 13 with four and two—Northern Maori and Western Maori—with six. Voting Methods Voters are required to strike off the names of the candidates for whom they do not wish to vote. In conjunction with the poll there will be a vote on licensing. The issues are national continuance, State purchase and control and national prohibition. Apart from the normal method of voting at the booths, three other methods are available — absentee voting, declaration votes and postal and special votes. Absentee votes may be cast by a registered elector away fren his home district at any booth in any other electorate. Declaration votes may be cast by any elector who for any one of a number of specified reasons is not on the roll.

Postal and special votes may be exercised by electors who, because of illness, infirmity or maternity, cannot go to a polling place, by electors living more than two miles from a polling place, persons travelling, those having a religious objection to voting on Saturday, lighthouse dwellers, or those with some other disability. Hotels will be closed at midday today, and not even guests can be served with liquor until after 7 p.m. There will be no

race meetings, but ordinary summer sports fixtures are unaltered. i Brighton Position

New Brighton shops which are normally open on Saturdays until 9 p.m. will remain open, and registered electors will be given sufficient time off to vote. Two hours is the Labour Department’s definition of “sufficient.” The time of the day in which the two hours is given will be a matter of arrangement between workers and employers. Workers will not lose pay by having time off.