POLLING DAY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23145, 17 September 1938, Page 14

POLLING DAY

Exactly four weeks from to-day the people of New Zealand will elect a new Parliament. There are several interesting points about the day chosen for the poll. The campaign will be a short one, a feature that nobody need regret. To the candidates it means working more intensively than if a longer time were put at their disposal. Its curtailment should, however, lighten the physical and nervous strain of campaigning, which should be a welcome relief to those engaged. It will probably be less expensive also, to run a short campaign. The general public will have been sufficiently bombarded by the end of four weeks to want no more than, the chance to cast a vote. To business people the prospect of having the hurlyburly done well before Christmas will undoubtedly be welcome. The day chosen falls on a Saturday. This is an innovation for New Zealand, although the practice of holding elections on Saturday is well established and universally followed in Australia. In theory the day should be especially suitable, since most people are at leisure at least in the afternoon, and can thus be certain of a chance to Vote. Actually there is never any substantial complaint about difficulty in getting to the poll, so the advantage of the whole or half-holiday is more apparent than real. Where it is necessary to use school buildings as booths, there will be no interference with the school work. No doubt the Government has its own reasons for choosing Saturday, but they are not obvious. A point that will be noted with interest by many people, and perhaps with dismay by some, is that, as in accordance with the Electoral Act, all bars must be closed at noon on election day, the choice of October 15 means a "dry" Saturdav afternoon.