KELBURN TRAMWAY

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 108, 8 May 1923, Page 8

KELBURN TRAMWAY

RESULT OF RECOUNT.

The recount in connection with the proposal for the purchase of the Kelburn cable tramway resulted:— For the proposal 3483 Against the proposal 8433 Majority against , 4950 Informal votes 642 The number of informal votes cast — about 5 per cent, of the total rights exercised—is very striking, and was no doubt the result of the two distinct methods of voting in use in the election. In most cases informality of voting was caused -.' through ballot papers having been folded up and placed in the box unmarked, but there were other instances in which the intelligence of the voter appeared to bo lacking. Theinstructions on the loan proposals voting paper advised that "the voter must erase the line marked '2' if he wishes to vote for the proposal; or line '1' if lie wishes to vote againSt it." In at least twenty cases, the instruction was heeded to the letter, and the ruled line separating the printed proposals was carefully marked out with a wavy line. Other informal votes were recorded by the voter placing marks against the value of the loan higher up thevoting paper; in some instances in the Kelburn tram prpposal the £1000 provided for legal expenses, which was shown separately, was erased, leaving the £45,- I 000 standing. Oth«r voters struck out j both lines, marked lines with a cross instead of striking out one line, marked lines with figures, or struck out the index figures denoting the issue.

As the Eeturning Officer remarked, the result of the voting shows the necesity for putting the issues in a form which will be comprehensible to all voters, such as a straight-ouf question: "Do you vote in favour of the proposal?" or "Do you vote against the proposal?"