My Experiences at a Polling Booth.

Northland Age, Volume VIII, Issue 10, 27 October 1911, Page 5

My Experiences at a Polling Booth.

[By our own Correspondent]. A few weeks ago I was asked to aot as Deputy Returning Officer for the County election and in a weak moment consented. I was afterwards told I had to take tke booth at Sleepy Hollow, as the opposing candidates thsrs raised an ohjeotion to everyone chosen for the post. Being a man of small stature and xuoek disposition I began to feel grave » doubts as to whether I bad not laid myself open to personal violence in the exfcoution of my duty. I oonjured up visions of what are oalled the good old •lection days of a oentury ago when the elsotors wars locked up in stables until the tims arrived, whan they were required to he carted to the booth, when bands were playing, flags flying, oarnages dashing in all directions, and everyone wore a favour the oolour of their particular candidate. As the day of the eleotion drew near I studied the Aot of Parliament, and found that in the event of any riot I was to olose the booth and oall on the nearest constable to arrest the offending parties. This information was very quieting until I discovered that the officer in question lived ten miles from Sleepy Hollow, and as I was not at liberty to leave the booth I felt inward qualms as to whether I should be able to communioate with him before the building had been wrecked and the eleotion made void. The eve of the great day my dreams were haunted by all possible ills that could befall me and I found myself on the point of being torn in two by the opposing factions when I awoke to find I had only half an hour to dress and snatch a hasty breakfast before facing a f twenty-mile ride. As usual the local livery stable keeper appeared with my steed before his time, and I was not oomforted to find the animal a rawboned bunter of 17 hands with a wioked eye. Having olimbed into the saddle and managed to steer my horse past his stables, he evidently decided the quickest way to rid himself of me was to get to his journey's end and took me at a good paoe, only pulling up at all the stores and places of local interest on the way. On arriving at Sleepy Hollow I found the looal schoolmaster, whose building I was using, waiting for me, and also a j burly individual who informed me he was aoting as scrutineer for one of tbe candidates. To put me at my ease be re marked he did not wish to intimidate me,

but hoped there would be no hankypanky business. I smiled blandly and got to work quiokly, making all the neoessary arrangements for opening the booth. On the stroke of nine one youth oame in with the remark that he had to go and look for some cattle and must be starting as soon as possible. He was soon joined by tbrss or four others, all in a similar hurry to get to their daily toil, but I was somewhat surprised to find that after reoording their votes they appeared to have forgotten their good intention* and stayed to indulge in conversation. I listened attentively, expeoting to hear the merits of the candidates commented on, and felt that possibly trouble might oommenoe, but no —tho talk was only of billiards and busbfelling, orioket and oonoerts, orops and oows. The morning dragged along slowly, a few more eleotors ooming and going, leaving the original party still in the booth whioh they Anally left about diuuer-time. By that hour I was feeling happier, as both candidates had been in to record their votes, no fists had been shaken iu each other’s face, uo threats had bssu used, and I had observed no violence promised to the eleotors in the event of their voting for the wrong party. The scrutineer, who appeared to be a man of quite a mild disposition iu spite of his ferocious demeanour, regaled me with the personal history of all the voters, and from his aooount one of the candidates appeared to have more thau hie share of sisters, oousins and aunts, not to mention brothers and uncles. Being an orphan I gave up all ideas of ever aspiring to a seat on the local oouncil, especially as I have a wife and oaunot marry into a family of electors.

Gentle suasion seemed to be the order of the day where the voter was not related to one of the candidates, and one man rode up evidently annoyed at being disturbed from his rest to vote. Whichever oandidate was the last to oall on him probably lost his support as he appeared to be too intellectually superior to bother about which was the better man to represent the riding. Another man came quit* prepared to impersonate his wife, but I firmly squashed him, and he left muttering of the injustice of a man’s not being able to make his property over and retain his vote. Aftsr dinner the rush of voters slackened and I had time to look round the irhoolroom and admire the beauties of the surrounding scenery. I counted the pictures on the wall, the oows in the paddooks, the number of voters on the roll, the probable votes efloh way, the sheep jumping over ‘a hurdle, and woke to find I had passed half an hour of a weary afternoon in sweet repose. At 6 o'olook sharp I elosed the booth, oounted the votes whioh oame to a grand total of 33 in nine hours, and made for home as quiokly as possible, thankful to have oompleted without injury my first experience as a Deputy Returning Offioer.