HINTS FOR POLLING DAY.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVIII, Issue 285, 8 December 1914, Page 3

HINTS FOR POLLING DAY.

| LAW GOVERNING ELECTIONS.

j HOW-TO EXERCISE FRANCHISE

I The polls for the election of the 76 European members of New Zealand's 19th Parliament will be held throughout the Dominion on Thursday next. The election of the four Maori mem- ■. bers will take, place on the following ! day. ..,'■'. "■ , ' .'■ i In former years only tihoso persons ' whose, names were registered on the electoral rolls were qualified to vote. • This year, however, important amend- ; ments made to the electoral laws last : session will be in force. On© new ; clause provides that any person whose I name has been wrongly removed from i a. roll may secure a vote by making a declaration. This provision does-not i of course apply to persons who have ! not previously been enrolled and^havei ■ failed to make *a claim for registrar ■ tion. Anyone making a false de- \ claration under tjiis section renders j himself liable to a £50 fine. The resij dential qualification period has been | reduced, from.three months to on© month and the definition of an elector ! is now as follows: —"Every adult per- • son who has resided for one year in | New1 Zealand, and who, has resided in j the electoral district, for which- lie i claims to.vote for one month imme- \ diately preceding his registration, on i the roll of,the. district, and who is a ! British subject either by birth or I naturalisation in New. Zealand or a j half-caste." j Members of the theatrical profession'and commercial travellers who itoave resided in New*, Zealand for riot less than one year are entitled to be enrolled, although they may not have resided in one district for a month. Special, provisions have also been made for the registration of seamen with a view to securing an equitable distribution of their votes. All electors should make themselves acquainted with the manner in which votes must be recorded to be effective. In the 34 urban electorates in the Dominion the polling hours will be from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. .and in the other 48 districts (including Wairau) the polls will close at 6 p.m. Anelector may obtain a voting paper and record his or her vote at any time between the opening and the closing of the poll. Should any elector be present in.a booth when the time for the closing of the poll arrives he is still entitled to receive his ballot • paper and record a vote as if he had voted prior to the closing of the poll. This only applies to persons actually within a booth at the hour of closing and does not permit the admission of any elector who may arrive at the polling place after the striking of the hour.

PROCEDURE OF RECORDINa VOTES.

j The ballot papers for the elections will contain >a list of all the candidates arranged alphabetically in order of iih© surnames. Below .the list of names will be directions as to ihow to vote, the principal one being that ; the vote is to be recorded by striking i out .the. name of every candidate for ; whom the voter does not intend to ! vote, by drawing a line through the names with >a pen or pencil. The voter must talce oare not to leave un- : cancelled the name of more tßan one candidate or his paper will be invalid and his intended vote will be lost. The voting process is to be carried . out by every elector in an inner cony partment in the booth, to whicih he ; will retire for the purpose on receiving his paper from the deputy returning officer, who will _ hand them to him on demand T>rovided he is satisfied that the applicant is entitled to' vote and has not already voted. Be- ; fore leaving the inner compartment the voter is to fold up his ballot paper ; so that the contents cannot be seen, and having shown the official mark on , the back to the returning; officer he*is . to drop the paper into the sealed bal- : lot box provided. No ballot paper i may be taken out of a booth. CASE OF THE ILLITERATE OR AFFLICTED. • <:'

J At the request of any voter. ?u rho ! is blind pr unable to read qr write the ; deputy returning officer will-, with-not more^thaii two_ scrutineer^ retireiwith liini into the inner compartment <kand there mark the ballot paper, according to the voter's instructions. Any voter who inadvertently spoils his ballot paper will be supplied'with-a fresh one on satisfying the returning officer that the first is spoilt, but only after the paper so spoilt has been returned to the returning officer. [ Each ballot paper will have a corresponding counterfoil, both being numbered alike, and both endorsed ; with, an official mark, and the roll number of the voter will be entered upon the counterfoil only, so that the ; identity of a vote cannot be ascertained unless a comparison is made between the voting paper, its counterfoil, and the roll. I ABSENT VOTERS' PERMITS. An elector of any district may within six months preceding the issue, of the writs apply to lany registrar for a permit authorising him to record his vote outside .the district in which he is enrolled. For the purpose* of exercising his vote the holder of an absent voter's permit can apply to any deputy returning officer outside the dis\trict in which he is enrolled during the hours of polling and must deliver his permit to the officer and sign an application for a ballot paper for the district in which he is enrolled. This must be handed back to the returning officer, who will forward it to the district for which the vote is exercised. PRIVILEGES OF EMPLOYEES. Facilities must be afforded to all

electors to record their votes. A public ihalf-holiday must be observed from mid-day on election day, and between noon and 7 p.m. tho'sale of intoxicating liquor will be prohibited. Persons under the jurisdiction of the Shops and Offices Act are to be given the weekly half-holiday on election day instead of the usual weekly halfholiday. It is not, however," necessary for am' factory to close during working hours on polling day, but the occupier of every factory must afford to each of his employees a- reasonable opportunity of recording his vote without any deduction from wages, provided the, time occupied by the visit : to ,a polling..booth does not exceed one working hour. Any pecupi.er of a. factory committing- a''breach, of this clause will be liable to a fino of not more than £5 in respect of every employee. CANDIDATES AND THE POLL. The time limit for the withdrawal of any candidate is fccfd by law as simultaneous'with the hour for the closing of rfominations—in the ease of this year, noon on November 30

. fast. The name of e<ich candidate ■ published as noTrumted must therpj foro be submitted to the electors at

next Thursday's poll. In v the event of any .candiidate dying after the day of nomination and before pdlling day, the returning officer will countermand notice of the poll. If any candidate should die on polling day, before the hour of the closing of the poll the rer turning officer must immediately close the poll and declare it to be Hull and of no .effect.

OFFENCES AT ELECTIONS

. Stringent regulations exist under the electoral laws in x^espect to the general elections. -'Every person, for instance, is liable to a fine not exceeding £20 who in any way interferes with any elector, either in a polling booth or while on Ms way to one, with, the intention of influencing him or advising him as to his vote. Subject to a similar _ penalty no person may print or distribute imitation ballot papers containing the names of the candidates, together with any direction or indication, or any matter likely to influence any vote, either on the day of election or during the three days immediately preceding the taking of the poll. During the hours in which the- poll, is being taken a simi- * lar penalty attaches to the making of any public demonstration having reference to the poll, by means of living figures, effigies, paintings, placards, or other like means. - Fines not exceeding £50 may be inflicted for other offences, including the publication of defamatory matter at election time, whilst the offence, of personation is punishable by two years' imprisonment.