POLL ARRANGEMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20556, 6 May 1930, Page 13

POLL ARRANGEMENTS.

FACILITIES FOR VOTERS.,,

MANY BOOTHS PROVIDED,,

HALF-HOLIDAY FOR SHOPS. The preparations for the poll in tha Parnell electorate to-morrow have been completed. The polling hours will be from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and, in view of the compact nature of the electorate, ifc is anticipated that the final result will be known by 9 p.m. There are 25 polling places. At some of tho moro populous centres there will bo several booths at the one polling-place, tho total booths being 50. For instance, there will be four booths at the Newmirket Municipal Hall and at tho Remuera Library Hall, three at tho Alexandra Theatre, St Mark's Hall and tho Parnell Tennis Club's pavilion, and two booths at a number of other places. There are 14,019 names on tho rolls.. Those who made application for enroll ment before the rolls closed on April 11, : but whose names have not been included, and those still resident in the electorate whose names have been ruled out, should make themselves conversant with the declaration voting facilities. Declaration Votes. The following classes of persons, not being registered as electors of any district, .may, on making a declaration on the prescribed form that they are qualified to be registered as electors, vote as electors of the district in which they ara resident:—(l) Any person whose nam# has been ruled out on any certified copy, of the rolls; (2) any person who, having applied for registration as an elector at any time before 6 p.m. on the day of the issue of the writ (April 1L in the present instance), and having been informed by. the registrar that ho has been registered, has not been so registered. Thoso are the only two classes of declarations provided for in the Electoral Act. Declaration voting, for instance, is not a back door to allow thoso to vote who have applied for enrolment sine® April 11. The penalty for a false declaration is £SO. All declaration votes will be examined after the poll, and will be allowed only if the returning is satisfied that the declaration lias'been properly made. Voters Who Are Away.

Provision is also made for postal votes to be recorded. Already a number of applications for a postal vote certificate and ballot paper has been made, and these will continue to be issued on ap* plication until the time prescribed fop the closing of the poll. The certificate and ballot-paper must, however, be again in the hands of the returning officer before the poll closes. An additional facility is provided, whereby an elector may vote at any post office outside the electorate during the time such office is open for the transaction of ordinary business. A seaman voting outside the elector-, ate must be in possession of a seaman's right, and shall vote before a collector of customs at any time after the issue of the writ and the time fixed for the close of the poll. Quaint Position in Newmarket,

Shops and offices in the electorate which' usually observe Saturday as a half-holii day will ba obliged to observe pollingday as the half-day. It is not necessary, for lactones in the electorate to observe a half-day, but employees must b«i afforded a reasonable opportunity to re« cord their votes.

This requirement will affect Newmarket' in a peculiar way, as the centre-line of Broadway is part of the electoral boundary. Shops and offices on the east sida will be obliged to close in the afternoon, while business will be conducted as usual on the west side.: One hotel, the only one in the electorate, is situated on the east side of Broadway, and it will have to close its doors at noon, while two ad--jacent hotels on the other side of the street, being in another electorate, will be open during the usual hours. TO-NIGHT'S MEETINGS. ' There will bo considerable activity on the part of the candidates and party speakers who are assisting them at the final meetings in the Parnell by-election campaign this evening. The Reform Party will hold two meetings. At tho Remuera Library, tha Leader of the Opposition, the Rt. Hon.: J. G. Coates, will head a number of Reform members of Parliament in a closing rally. The other Roform meeting will ba at the Kohimarama Theatre, where tha speakers will bo Mr. J. A. Young, M-P.i for Hamilton, and Mr. R. A. Wright, M.P. for Wellington Suburbs, The Leader of the Labour Party, Mr* li. E. Holland, will speak at Mr. Bloodworth's meeting at St. Mark's Hall, and Mr. Bloodworth will also address tha electors at St. Heliers, where lie will ba supported bv Mr. P. Fraser, M.P. fen Wellington Central, Mr. W. Nash, M.P* for Hutt, and Mr. W. J. Jordan, M.P.. for Manukau. Several open-air meetings will also bo conducted by. members of tho party in support of Mr. Bloodworth's candidature. Tho Minister of Public Works,. Houj E. A. Ransom, will assist tho United candidate, Mr. A. Donald, at a meeting at the Tudor Theatre. There will also ba an open-air meeting.