GENERAL ELECTION

Evening Post, Volume XCVIII, Issue 144, 16 December 1919, Page 7

GENERAL ELECTION

TO-MORROW'S POLL

POINTS FOR ELECTORS

MALPRACTICES AND PENALTIES.

After all the campaigning, canvassing, and speech-making, the test of who shall represent the people of New Zealand in Parliament will be taken at the 76 European electorates to-morrow. Polling will commence at 9 a.m., and will continue until 7 p.m., in the following electoral districts :—Auckland West, Auckland East, . Auckland Central, Avon, Buller, Chalmers, Christ-Church North, Christchurch East, Christchurch South, Dunedin North, Dun&din Central, Dunedin South, Dunedin West, Eden, Grey Lynn, Hutt, Invercargill, Lyttelton, Mairukau, Motueka, Napier, Nelson, Oamaru, Palmerston, Parnell, Riccartan, Ftoskill, Thames, Timaru, Waitaki, Waitemata, Wanganui, Wellington North, Wellington Central, Wellington East, Wellington South, Wellington Suburbs. In all other electorates (mainly those in widely-scattered, country districts) the polls will close at 6 p.m. Premises covered by the Shops and Offices Act, 1903, must close from noon, and this, closing will be deemed to be the weekly half-holiday. All hotels must close from noon* and as the usual hour for .closing is now 6 p^m., they will not, as in 1914, be allowed to re-open when polling ceases. All employees in factories must be allowed reasonable time up to one hour in which to record their votes.

Electors are strongly advised to read carefully the instructions- given as to voting. This is especially necessary if informal voting is to be avoided. The voter is to strike out the name of every candidate for whom he does not wish to vote, and where there are more than two candidates the voter must leave only one name Uncancelled,, otherwise the voting paper will be invalid. Votes may be registered at any of the polliug places in the electorate in which the voter is registered. The full list of polling places for Wellington City, Suburbs, and Hutt is given below. .

The following persons whose names do not appear on the rolls are entitled to vote by virtue of a declaration made befor the deputy returning officer: (1.) Any person whose name has been struck oft a certified: copy of the foil "supplied to the returning officer. (2.) Any person who voted as a registered elector at the "last preceding election for. the district in Which his place of residence is situated, and whose name does not appear on the roll for the district (this is to meet the case of electors who have been struck off through alterations of boundaries). (3.) Any person who lias applied to the Registrar of Electors, and who has been informed by the registrar that he has been enrolled as an elector. All declaration votes will be placed in A envelopes and verified before being counted. The lav; in regard to election offences is severe. Every person is liable to a flue not exceeding' £20 who takes any means to advise or influence an elector as to his vote ; who prints or distributes mock ballot papers, together with any indication as to how any person should vote ; or who during polling hours makes any public demonstration "by means of living figures, effigies, paintings, placards, or other means. .Heavy penalties are also provided for impersonation of electors, tampering with ballot-papers, or other illegal practices.