NOMINATION PAPER

Grey River Argus, 18 May 1944, Page 3

NOMINATION PAPER

RECEIVED TOO LATE. P.A. CHRISTCHURCH, May 17. Circumstances in which the nomination of W. G. Carter, for the Heathcote Valley Riding of the Heathcote County Council was disallowed bv the Returning Officer, Mrs E. M. Duncan, the County Clerk, were the subject of a statement to-dav by Messrs F. E. Taylor and A. S. Campbell, who signed the nomination. They stated the paper was posted on Saturday morning, and that it should have been received before the nominations closed at noon on Monday. Mrs. Duncan’s reply was that the Council’s post office box was cleared at the usual times on Mondav, and, because she was not aware that the nomination paper was coming, it was not cleared between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. Because Carter’s nomination was not allowed, a Labour Party candidate for the rid-, ing, W. B. Laing, was declared elected unopposed. The question was referred to the Registrar of Electors, Mr. A A. Besley. He said that the general practice in Parliamentary elections was for returning officers to clear the mail just before the time for the closing of nominations. As far as the rolls were concerned, there was an instruction that registrars should clear the mail just before the. closing of the rolls. ’ The County Clerk, Mrs. Duncan, said that she had obtained a legal opinion on her action in disallowing the nomination, and her interpretation of the act had been upheld. The placing of a notification in a post office box did not constitute delivery at the office of the Countv as specified by the notice, given in accordance with the Act.