Raglan Poll Tomorrow

Northern Advocate, 4 March 1946, Page 4

Raglan Poll Tomorrow

(Special.) . HAMILTON, This Day. ""Few by-elections in recent times have attracted the lively interest which has been shown in the Raglan electorate, where a heavy poll is expected tomorrow. Voters will make their choice between the National Party candidate, Mr H. Johnstone, and the Labour Party candidate. Mr A. C. Baxter, to fill the seat rendered vacant by the death of Mr R. Coulter.

Mr Coulter had a majority of only 108 votes over his National opponent at the 1943 general election. The voting then was: R. Coulter (Labour). 4817; R. J. Glasgow (National). 4709; A. Dillon (Democratic Labour), 289; S. Burton (Real Democratic Movement), 221; informal, 90. With a total vote of 10.126. only 780 electors refrained from exercising their franchise. In 1943 a total of 780 exservicemen’s votes were recorded. 382 for Mr Coulter, 322 for Mr Glasgow and 76 distributed between the two other candidates and informal.

For the present contest the roll has closed with a total of 12,340, or 1434 more than in 1943. No reliable information has been given where the new voters live or what are their occupations, factors which will have a distinct bearing on the result of the contest.