Some Local Bodies To Spread Voting

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29829, 23 May 1962, Page 15

Some Local Bodies To Spread Voting

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, May 22.

The Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr Gotz) announced tonight that he had received 40 applications from local authorities to conduct their elections in October next, in accordance with the experimental procedures prescribed in section 96A of the Local Election and Polls Act, 1953. Mr Gotz said that of these, 15 were from local bodies in the North Island and 25 from local bodies in the South Island. Twenty-six boroughs and cities and 10 counties had sought permission to spread voting over a period of days ranging from 14 days down to two days and four counties had sought permission to conduct postal ballots. In addition, one city which desired spread voting also desired to use mobile polling booths. After very careful consideration it had been decided to authorise the following local authorities to conduct their elections under the altered procedures:— Wanganui City Council:— Spread voting over 14 days. Dunedin and Nelson City Councils, Stratford and Greymouth Borough Councils, and the Wallace County Council: —Spread voting over six days.' Franklin and Mackenzie County Councils:—Postal ballots. Not Widespread Mr Gotz said that when he promoted the legislation last year to authorise experimental procedures at local elections it had not been his intention that these procedures should be adopted on a widespread basis in the initial stages. Everyone who had the interests of local government at heart, said Mr Gotz. was concerned at the apathy displayed at local elections. It had been suggested that the adoption of such procedures as spread voting and postal ballots would help to overcome this apathy. The legislation was design-

ed solely to enable experiments to be conducted in a few selected districts where the local authorities were willing to try them out.

However, the number of applications went much beyond the number of elections which ’it was advisable to conduct under experimental procedures. The Minister said that he knew that the other local authorities that had applied would be keenly disappointed at this decision. However, he had made it clear in acknowledging the applications that they would not all necessarily be granted. and he hoped that those local authorities whose applications had not been approved would appreciate that this was solely because of the need to keep these experimental procedures within reasonable bounds in the meantime.