ON THE CASTING VOTE

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 47, 19 November 1925, Page 10

ON THE CASTING VOTE

LYTTELTON AND WESTLAND SEATS

DEAD HEAT IN BOTH ELECTIONS

RETURNING OFFICERS DECIDE AGAINST SITTING MEMBERS

It is over half a century since an equal number of votes in a New Zealand election made it necessary for the returning officer to give a casting vote. By the strangest coincidence, two seats, Westland and Lyttelton, were determined in this manner yesterday.

Mr, G. G. Hodgkins, deputy chief electoral officer, received advice during the day that Mr/T. E. Y. Seddon, the Nationalist candidate, had been det dared elected for the Westland seat on the casting vote of the returning /Officer, both candidates having polled 4176 votes. The second dead heat at the last general elections occurred in the contest for the Lyttelton seat, where ■Mr. McCombs, the sitting Labour candidate, and Mr. Lyons, the Reform nominee, both polled exactly the same number of votes, 4901, and the returning, officer gave his casting vote in favour of Mr. Lyons. In both • instances the returning officers decided against the sitting members. The battle for the Westland seat was * most exciting one. On Sunday evening the candidates were racing’neck and neck, each with 4174 votes, and with three absent votes to come. Then it was discovered that ■ six absent votes had been located •with the returning officer for Buller, and the interest which was focused on the result of that count was only appeased by the announcement yesterday that of the valid votes, the candidates had each secured 4176, the casting vote going in favour of Mr. Seddon. It is not necessary for a returning officer to give reasons for his choice, as he has absolute discretion as to how he gives his casting vote, and the deputy chief electoral officer was not informed as to the manner in which the returning officer at Westland came to his decision Over half a century ago, Edward Wakefield, a southern candidate, was ■ elected similarly on the casting vote of the returning officer, and it is stated that on tljnt occasion, finding himself metaphorically between the devil and the deep sea, in that he respected both . candidates, he called them together, got them to agree on his modus oper- . andi, and tossed a coin into the air, with the result that Mr. Wakefield took his seat in the House. There has been a good deal of speculation as to whether the returning officer at Westland would declare the sitting member, Mr.' J. O’Brien (Labour), elected in the event of a tie, or whether he would, follow the only pre_cedent, 50 years old,' and spin a coin.

OFFICIAL LYTTELTON FIGURES MISSING VOTES ALL ACCOUNTED FOR Bt Teleghai-h.—Press AssodiATiny Christchurch, November 18. After an anxious wait of a fortnight the final result of the Lyttelton election w'as announced a little after 5 o’clock this evening. The result was:— Lyons 4901 McCombs 4900 Informal 9,1 The returning officer also announced that the missing votes had all been accounted for. The final count had resulted in a tie, each polling 4900 votes, and he had exercised his casting vote in favour of Mr. Lyons, whom he declared elected.

THE WESTLAND SEAT z — \ MR. T. E. Y. SEDDON ’ ELECTED Hokitika, November 18. The intense interest shown in the result of the Westland election since polling day, and which had been Intensified since Sunday, when a tie was announced, was culminated this afternoon when the result was announced. Both candidates being again equal with 4176 votes each, the returning officer, ' Mr, G. H. . Coles, gave his casting vote in favour of Mr.. T. E. Y. Seddon, and declared him elected. There were 69 informal votes, while twentyfour declaration votes were not allowed. The effective roll numbered 8930, and 8421 votes were cast.

A special correspondent telegraphs that the returning officer (Mr. Coles), in giving his casting vote for _ Mr. -Seddon, intimated, so it is reliably reported, that his decision was in accordance with the way in which he would have voted as an elector.