VOTES FOR THE SERVICES

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24632, 10 July 1943, Page 6

VOTES FOR THE SERVICES

The Cairo report published today, describing elaborate arrangement? made to give all South Africans on war service an opportunity in vote in the Union election, should be closely studied by the New Zealand Electoral Department. It will have to face a similar problem before long. The legal right to vote was provided by the Electoral Amendment Act, 1940, passed when it seemed likely there would be an election in 1941. Its provisions were amplified by regulations issued in the following year. Their purpose was to define a member of the forces to whom the right to vote was given by the earlier legislation. These enactments appear to supply all the authority necessary for extending the poll to all members of the services actually on duty abroad. As the South African example shows, that is only a part, the smaller part, of the problem. Men and women from this country are serving in the Middle East, the Pacific Islands, the United Kingdom, Canada, other parts of the American Continent, India, on the seven seas, and for all

that is known on land in a dozen other parts of the world. Not only must voting papers be distributed to them and collected for counting, but some attempt should be made to inform them of the issues at stake, and the choice before them. This will be particularly difficult with the crop of Independent candidates promising to go to the poll. Difficult or not, no effort should be spared to give service voters impartial information about the political position. The work should already be well in hand. If it is not it should be started at once, so that everyone entitled to vote shall be able to do so, and to do it intelligently.