SYSTEM OF VOTING.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 144, 20 May 1941, Page 4

SYSTEM OF VOTING.

FEWER INFORMAL PAPERS

As compared with 602 inlormal votes in the City Council election three years ago, there were only 66 in the election on Saturday, the system of marking a cross against the names of the candidates favoured, instead of scoring out the names ol those for whom the electors did not wish to vote, being an obvious improvement. Three years ago there were 18 aspirants for the nine seats on the City Council and the greater number cf informal votes were caused by electors not striking out sufficient names, thus leaving more than the required nine on the voting paper. With the altered system ol marking the electors could more easily count the crosses.

This position has been exemplified further in the ATayoral contests. Three years ago there were but the two aspirants for the Mayoralty, as against three oil this occasion. In all 68 informal votes . were registered three years ago. as against 59 this year. In the Mayoral contests a number of the informal votes were caused by the electors not voting at all, evidently overlooking this particular voting paper. The scoring out of the names operated quite efficiently where there were but two or three candidates,' but when a number were in the field the system by which crosses are employed thus appears to be the more efficient. Nine persons have been engaged in checking the roll and eight in making the recount. The recounts in the* Atavoral, City Council and Hospital Board elections have been completed, and it is expected that the recount for the ManawatuOroua Power Board will be completed to-day. The. recount for the City Council did not alter the positions of the candidates, as revealed by the preliminary count oil Saturday evening. The recount figures arc published in an advertisement in the “Alanawatu Standard” to-day.