INFORMAL VOTES

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 103, 4 May 1933, Page 13

INFORMAL VOTES

FAR TOO NUMEROUS

v Over two thousand informal votes were cast in both the Hospital Board and. the- City Council elections, and over a thousand in the Harbour Board election. It is safe to assume that at least 90 per cent, of tho casters of informal votes'intended to return valid papers, but through ignorance, misunderstanding, inadvertence, or stago fright failed to achieve . their purpose. - ■ . . . The necessity for crossing off names instead of putting a c*oss against those for wliom it is desired to Vote is the cause of, tho. majority of -informal' votes. This system, against which there, have 'been many protests in the past, was adopted in order that local body elections might conform in procedure with Parliamentary elections. But as a matter of fact them is no R'al parallel. In Parliamentary elections the voter is; confronted with two or throe names only, and it is comparatively easy to understand that one must strike out tho names of candidates for whom one docs not wish to vote. But in the local body elections the list of names is, confusingly largo and many voters are uncertain as to how many names ought to be struck put to make their vote vajid. 1 Complaint was made at many polling places that lack of lighting facilities and the bluntness of the marking pencils combined, to make correct voting somewhat difficult.' The crayons supplied are very thick, =and it was noted that' when * they became blunt it became awkward ,to strike accurately through the centre'of a name orj the ballot paper. Voters found in. aoino cases, on counting up tiic names they had crossed out, that through the thick, pencil marking above or below names instead of directly through them, they had ' actually left untouched more names than wero required, thus rendering tho paper informal. '.'' j ' • '■ ■ ' ■■) Some of the' voting papers classed as informal at the first count may later on be 'admitted as valid provided they cloudy show'the voter's intent. ■ The declaration votes number 1007, and when these have been distributed after investigation as-to their validity it may bo found that .thero. will bo! an alteration iii some of the last places to be filled. :