HEAVIER POLLS.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVIII, Issue 10737, 7 November 1928, Page 7

HEAVIER POLLS.

AT GENERAL ELECTION

LOCAL RETURNING OFFICER’S VIEWS.

Indications 'point to a much heavier poll cn political and licensing issues in the Gisborne electorate on Wednesday, November 14, than at the election three years ago, according to the local Returning Officer, Air P. Ji. Fulton. ’He pointed out that 11,On electors had registered for this election, whereas there were only 10,474 on the rolls for the last contests, an- increase on this occasion of 1497’. The total ■ valid- votes cast at the'l923 election numbered 9144 whilst 91 others were rejected as informal. The idea that there would he heavier polling was based apart from the fact that .there was an increase in the number of electors)'Mr Fulton referring particularly to the facilities granted at this election to voters who were in hospital or were so incapacitated as to he unable to visit a polling booth to register their votes by the -postal system. Apart from this absentee voters would,also bo able *to exercise their franchise, but the regulations had been tightened up and applicants would have to show reasonable cause why they could not have- voted in their own .electorate. •

’The exhaustive preparation ! work ;on which the electoral officer’;- staff has been engaged for months past is ■'now nearing fruition and all arrangements are now well in hand for the big. day. The returns may be somewhat litter than usual at this poll cn account of all booths closing at 7 o’clock instead of 6 p.m., and the fact that there will be only cue deputy returning officer at each poll to count the votes instead of two as formerly, one undertaking the counting of the Parliamentary election votes whilst- the other simultaneously does the licensing poll, which may make the returns of the latter refer-endum-later than usual. In the ordinary course the electoral rotes will be counted first but in some epuntry centres it is possible that both polls will be counted before any returns are sent- in.