FULL LICENSING POLL

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 271, 11 August 1943, Page 4

FULL LICENSING POLL

Usual Part Of General Election POINTS ABOUT VOTING A full licensing poll would be taken in conjunction with the general election poll, stated the Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser, in the House of Representatives last night when the Electoral Department Estimates were discussed, lie said he was glad of the opportunity to clear up the confusion which seemed to exist in regard to servicemen overseas. They would be entitled to vote wherever they were serving abroad through the special roll compiled, and they would have a vote on the licensing question. Their votes would be credited to the electorate in. which they belonged. The procedure in regard to the election of Parliamentary members was that when nominations closed the names of candidates and their party designations would be cabled overseas. As soou as they were received the voting would commence and continue till the eve of the polls in New Zealand. It was quite possible that the overseas figures would be available for inclusion in the counting on polling night. Servicemen in camp and stations in New Zealand were in a different position, continued the Prime Minister. Their votes on the licensing poll would go to their civilian residential electorate. They would have the option, however, of voting for the electorate in which their camp or station was situated provided they had the necessary residential qualification, or of voting for their ordinary home electorate.

The Prime Minister also mentioned the voting privileges of persons in the Dominion who were directed by the Manpower Officers to employment away from their home electorates. They would have the option of enrolling in the district where now employed and voting in that electorate or of voting for the candidates in their home electorates. He pointed out that this option only applied to people directed officially into industries. Those who chose to take up employment in other districts would be subject to the ordinary residential qualifications. Mr. Fraser said that a series of announcements informing electors of their voting rights and also urging them to enrol as was compulsory under the Act would be issued shortly.