‘Votes would alter election’

Press, 22 January 1982, Page 1

‘Votes would alter election’

PA Wellington At least 50.000 New Zealanders had their votes disallowed in the 1981 election, according to the convener of Labour’s Electoral Committee. Mr R. K. Maxwell. Mr Maxwell, member of Parliament for Waitakere. said the figures, representing about 600 people an electorate. were “staggering and obviously more than enough to have altered the outcome of the election." “The bulk of the people whose votes were disallowed will never know that their votes were useless." he said. Labour's electoral subcommittee of Mr Maxwell. Mr J. L. Hunt (New Lynn). Mrs Whetu Tirikalene-Sulli-van (Southern Maori) and Ms Helen Clark (Mt Albert) called on the Minister of Justice (Mr McLay) to reconvene the three-party select committee on electoral reform to initiate an inquiry into the matter. In addition, they want the 50.000 voters concerned to be informed that their votes were invalid and, where appropriate. put on to the rolls. "The biggest factor in the massive disenfranchisement was clearly the non-accept-ance of enrolment in the month before the election. This was one of the major weaknesses in the Government's $7.5M clean-up of the 1978 shambles." Mr Maxwell said.

The committee said its survey also showed evidence of confusion resulting from the party designation not being on the ballot paper, and serious difficulties in Maoris casting both ordinary and special votes. "All of these matters must be cleared up so that there is not a repeat situation in 1984.” he said.