ELECTIONS TO-MORROW

Evening Star, Issue 22953, 10 May 1938, Page 12

ELECTIONS TO-MORROW

POLLING ARRANGEMENTS COMPLETED NEARLY 44,000 VOTERS IN CITY MAYORAL RESULT EXPECTED BEFORE 8.30 With all the thrust and parry of the election campaign over, the electors will to-morrow make their choice of candidates for the mayoralty, the City Council, the Harbour Board, and the Hospital. There are nearly 44,000 voters on the rolls in the city, and the heaviest poll ever recorded is anticipated. Polling hours to-morrow will be from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and the returning officer (Mr R. A. Johnston) expects heavy polling at all booths. He suggests that wherever possible voters should record their votes during the daytime, and so assist in avoiding congestion towards the closing hoar. If voters will remember that there are 43,683 persons on the roll and ■ that each has to deal with four issues—mayor, councillors, 1 Harbour Board, and Hospital Board—the necessity for early voting will be realised. _ At local elections there is no provision for absent voters as in the case of parliamentary elections. The voter must attend personally at the booth to vote.

METHOD OF VOTING. The method of voting for the four issues in the city is the “ cross ” system ; that is, the elector has simply to mark a cross in the square set opposite to the name or names of the candidates for _ whom he or she desires to vote. This system, however, does not apply in the case of elections conducted in districts outside the city area. In those districts the “ strike out ” method of voting is still in operation. It should also be noted that the polling hours, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., though applicable in the city, towns, and certain counties, are not wholly general. In counties which comprise a rural district the closing hour is 6 o’clock. COMPANY VOTING, The statutory provision relating to voting by companies, partnerships, joint tenants, or associations of perwhich was in force at the last elections in 1935, is now abolished. The names of companies, etc., do not now appear on the roll. The name of the person who appears on the valuation roll as the ratepayer for each company or association now, however, appears on the electoral roll, and hence the vote in respect of a company-owned property is a personal one exercised by the ratepayer. As no name can appear on the roll more than once, a company ratepayer voter cannot exercjse a vote under any other qualification. Prior to the change in the law, persons voting on behalf of companies were required to produce at the booth a signed authority from the company to vote. This document is now quite unnecessary, and is of no use either to the voter or to the booth officers. A WARNING. Persons who, as 'the result of strong sympathy with one section of candidates or another, i seek to influence voters on election day run the 'risk of a substantial fine. It is provided in section 44 of the Local Elections and Polls Act, 1925, that every person is liable to a fine not exceeding £2O who, at an election r In any way interfers with any elector either in the polling booth or while on his way thereto, with the intention of influencing him or advising him as to_ his vote (the mere offering of a printed slip asking for the support of certain candidates to any elector oji his way to the booth, whether accepted by him or not, and whether it actually influences him or not, is a breach). Prints or distributes to any person on the day of the poll, or at any time during the three days immediately preceding the poll, anything being or purporting to be in imitation of any voting paper to be used at the poll, and having thereon the names of tho candidates, or any of them, together with any direction or indication as to how any persons should vote, or in any way containing such direction or indication, or having thereon any matter likely to influence any vote. During the hours in which the poll is being taken makes any public demonstration having _ reference to the poll by means of living figures, effigies, paintings, placards, or other like means. ANNOUNCEMENT OF RESULTS. It is expected by the returning officer for the city that the announcement of the results of the voting for the mayoral issue will be made between 8 and 8.30 p.m., unless some unforseen hitch occurs._ The remaining issues will take considerably longer, and the results of the voting will not bo available till about 11.30 p.m.