DUPLICATED VOTING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23175, 22 October 1938, Page 14

DUPLICATED VOTING

20 APPARENT CASES CLOSE RICCARTON CONTEST MATTER REFERRED TO POLICE [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION] CHRISTCHTJRCH, Friday About 20 cases of apparently duplicated voting are holding up the final count in the Biccarton election contest, in which Mr. T. H. Langford (Labour) has a lead of 38 votes over the sitting National member, Mr. H. S. S. Kyle. The returning oflicer said this morning that he could not start his final count until each case of apparent duplication had been cleared up. He added that three cases had been, put in the hands of the police. As for the 800 odd absentee and postal votes, no indication could be gained as to which, candidate secured the bulk of them, as the law stipulated that before these outstanding papers could be tallied up the recount of the votes already announced had to be completed. Interest has been heightened in the Christchurch North electorate, for it is understood that two errors discovered in the recount have added 50 votes to the total of the Labour candidate, Mr. R. M. MacFarlane, who on the first count was 342 votes behind the sitting National member, Mr. S. G. Holland.

OFFICIAL COUNTS OTAKI AND DUNEDIN CENTRAL The final election figures for the Otaki seat gave Mr. L. G. Lowry (Labour) a majority of 1367. Of the postal votes Mr. Lowry secured 125 and Mr. G. A. Monk (National) 114, and of tho absentee votes 357 went to Mr. Lowry and 197 to Mr. Monk. With the completion of the counting of postal, absentee and seamen's votes Mr. P. Neilson's majority in the Dunedin Central electorate has been increased to 3814 votes. His majority on the night of the election was 3654. Tho final figures were:— Mr. Neilson (Labour), 9094; Mr. W. J. Meade (National), 5280. On election night the figures were 8597 and 4943 respectively. Mr. iSeilson obtained 171 postal votes to Mr. Meade's 129, 10 being informal. In the absentee votes he secured 314 to his. opponent's 203, 27 being informal. All 16 seamen's votes went to Mr. Neilson. The total votes cast wero 14,874, of which 108 were informal. Official counts in Canterbury seats have been reached as follows:—-Christ-church North: Mr. "S. G. Holland (National), 7748; Mr. It. M. Macfarlajie (Labour), 7256; majority, 492. Avon: Tho Hon. D. G. Sullivan (Labour), 9879; Mr. H. Hunter (National), 3700; majority, 6179. Lyttclton: Mr. T. H. McCombs (Labour), 8041; Mr. L. J. Wilson (National), 5057; majority, 2984. Hurunui: Tho Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes (National), 5679.; Mr. H. E. Denton (Labour), 5142; majority, 537. The official count of tho votes recorded in the Napier electorate at the general election has been completed. The results are as follows:—Hon. W. E. Barnard (Labour), 8096; J. D. Ormond (National), 4159. Majority for Barnard, 3937.