1½m ELIGIBLE TO VOTE

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33083, 25 November 1972, Page 1

1 ½m ELIGIBLE TO VOTE

Today 1,569,937 New Zealanders will be entitled to vote for a government for the next three years. To enable them to do so, there are 6200 polling places. There are 87 electorates this year—the greatest number yet in a General Election—contested by 450 candidates. The National Party, Labour Party, and Social Credit Political League have candidates in each electorate. The New Democrat Party is contesting 86 seats, the Values Party, 42, and the Liberal Reform Party, 26. The rest of the political field is made up of 14 independent candidates, and 21 others representing 14 different parties. Polling will take place between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. Associated with the General Election poll will be the usual vote on liquor licensing, the issues being

continuance, State control, or prohibition. About 14,000 persons will be employed for the election. Whatever the outcome, there wiH be at least 14 new members of Parliament. One Labour member and 10 National members are not seeking re-election, and three new seats have been created. Should the voting be close in some seats, the over-all result may not be known until 10.30 p.m. or later, but if there is a general pattern the result should emerge by 9 p.m. However, if several seats are in doubt, it may be some days before the country knows which party will form the Government.