POLLING BOOTHS

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 115, 18 May 1938, Page 7

POLLING BOOTHS

ELECTION COMPLAINTS,

Comment on what was; described as the inadequacy of the polling booth provided for the benefit of Hutt voters in the city for the local body elections last week was voiced by Mr. G, Luke at last night's meeting of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce. It was decided to write to the returning officers asking for the provision of better facilities in the future, both in respect i to voting by Hutt Valley electors in the city and the number and location of polling booths for the Wellington city elections. l Mr. Luke said he did not know whether anyone had the right to establish a polling booth in Wellington city for the benefit of Hutt electors, but one was provided, and that being iso, he thought itlhould'have been of such dimensions and so equipped that the people could vote there in a reasonable time. He had spent over an hour at the Farmers' Institute booth to record his vote. Had there been no polling booth there he would have made arrangements to vote m the Hutt, although there were possibly hundreds of others who could not have done that. He contended that hundreds of votes were not cast because of the poor facilities in Wellington city for Hutt Valley voters. " Captain S. Holm, who seconded Mr. Luke's motion to communicate with the Hutt Valley returning officer, referred to the long distances some people had to travel in Wellington city to record their votes.' He referred particularly to residents living on the hills at Worser Bay. They had had to come into Seatoun, and if the day had been wet they would not have done so. He did not want to run the city into heavier expense, and for that reason he suggested that it would help if there was a greater number of polling places and the attendants were distributed among them.