THE LOCAL OPTION POLLS.

Evening Post, Volume LII, Issue 1170, 9 December 1896, Page 5

THE LOCAL OPTION POLLS.

+ The method of ascertaining the result of the local option poll still appears to puzzle some people on certain points, judging by the correspondence we have received on the subject. For the benefit of those who do not Jet understand the position we may state that every vote recorded in a proper manner is counted in ascertaining the result. For instance, a person voting for both continuance of the present state of affairs and for prohibition — which was possible by striking out the middle line — would • have both his votes recorded. Many appear to think that in such a case as this the Returning Officer would record neither vote, as one acted against the other, which would be a ridiculous result. According to the method pursued in Wellington, a person voting for both prohibition and reduction would have a vote given lo each, and So also if he voted for continuance and reduction. In other words, so long as he (or she) crossed out one or two of the proposals on the voting paper the vote or votes, as the case might be, given has gone to swell the total for each proposal that he voted for. In calculating the effect of the voting the prohibition and reduction votes are not added together. A continuance of the present state of affairs was carried in Wellington and the Suburbs. The correct figures for the Wairarapa poll — they wers mangled in reaching us yesterday — are as follows : — For continuance, 1480 ; for reduction, 744 ; fdr no-license, 820.