THE LICENSING POLL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17040, 23 December 1918, Page 7

THE LICENSING POLL

TAKING THE SOLDIERS' VOTE

ELABORATE PROVISIONS.

Regulations have been gazetted for the taking of the special poll on the licensing question, and especially for the taking of the votes of New Zealand soldiers wherever they may be. Every soldier in New Zealand is to be entitled to vote, and the voting of such men will be conducted by electoral officers appointed by the head of the Department. The soldier desiring to vote must produce his military pay-book, together with a certificate from an officer or other competent authority to say that he is a member of the Expeditionary Force, at present in a training camp in New Zealand. But if a soldier has returned to New Zealand after February 1, 1919, and he has not been able to arrange to vote in the ordinary way as a civilian, ho will be entitled to vote as a soldier even if he if not in a training camp at the time of the taking of the poll. Such a soldier is to be entitled to vote on making to the returning officer a declaration that he is a soldier and entitled to vote under the regulations. The returning officer of soldiers' votes is not. to count the ballot papers, but is to seal up the ballot boxes and forward them to the chief electoral officer at Wellington. The counting will be done in the Department's office. Provision _is made for the appointment of scrutineers at every polling place for soldiers in New Zealand, one representing those who favour National Continuance and one from those favouring National Prohibition with compensation. Provision is made for the taking of a poll of soldiers on ships on the way out to New Zealand. In this case the High Commissioner is authorised to appoint a miiltary officer in charge of the ballot boxes and voting papers. The officer is to have a poll of the men taken on the appointed day, and to deliver the sealed boxes of papers to the chief electoral officer in Wellington after the arrival of the ship in New Zealand. To take the votes of soldiers in Samoa an electoral officer is to be appointed by the Department, and he also is to forward the sealed boxes to the head office in Wellington. Practically identical arrangements arc to be made for the taking of the votes of soldiers on all fronts and in Great Britain. The fronts mentioned are Western or Central Europe, Egypt, Southern Europe, or Asia. For the poll in Britain and France the High Commissioner or some person authorised by him will appoint the polling places and conduct the voting. Every soldier is to have a right to vote if he produces his pay-book and satisfies the returning officer that he is a member of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. The electoral officers appointed by the High Commissioner are required to return the boxes to the offices of the High Commissioner in London, where they will be counted, the High Commissioner being responsible. As soon as the votes are counted the High Commissioner must cable the figures to New Zealand. For the forces in Egypt. Southern Europe, and Asia a slightlv different arrangement is made. It would lose much time to send the ballot papers to England to bo counted, and the scheme is that the High Commissioner shall appoint an electoral officer in Egypt to take charge of the poll of all soldiers on these fronts. Returning officers appointed by this controlling officer for the taking of votes, perhaps in far-away Palestine, are not to count the votes, but to forward the sealed boxes to the controlling officer in Egypt. By this officer the votes will be counted, and he will cable his figures to the High Commissioner, who in turn will cable them to New Zealand. Except for the taking of soldiers' votes in New Zealand, no scrutineers are to be allowed to act. In cyerv place the polling will take place on April 10. Provision is • made for assistance by the _ returning • rfficor to men who by reason of injuries re-. i eived are unable to mark their ballot : papers. In every such case the returning officer is required to endorse on the ballot , paper that the paper has been marked by | him at the request of the voter. j

INFORMATION TO SOLDIERS. \

MATTER UNDER CONSIDERATION.! [BY TELEGRAPH.— CORRESPOyPBST.] WELLINGTON. Saturday, j Representations have been made to the : Minister for Defence that the gazetted , regulations governing the procedure for taking the votes of soldiers _ overseas in j connection with the special licensing poll on April 10 do not enable soldiers to have the necessary knowledge of the important provisions of the Licensing Act Amend- , ment. Sir James Allen is considering: the matter.

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