ELECTION CARDS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22609, 28 June 1935, Page 8

ELECTION CARDS

PROSECUTIONS PENDING ACTION IN AUCKLAND Informations charging five Auckland residents with a breach of the Local .Elections and Polls Act, 1925, have been laid by the police (says the New Zealand Herald) following the distribution oj printed cards bearing the names of candidates in the vicinity of polling booths on the day of the municipal elections, May 8. No date has yet been fixed for \the prosecutions, which will be conducted by the Crown Solicitor's office on behalf of the police. Under Section 44 of the Act, every person is liable to a fine not exceeding £2O who, at an election, in any way interferes with an elector, either in the polling booth or on his way there, with the intention of influencing him or advising him as to his vote. With a view to emphasising the law in this connection, detectives and uniformed officers took the names of a number of persons on election day. The warnings of the police were generally accepted in good humour, although some of those approached were inclined to argue what they considered to be their right to distribute cards lisplaying the names of candidates. Possibly every division of municipal thought was concerned in the cards available near the booths. There was a litter outside the polling booth at the Chamber of Commerce in Swanson street, and the names of candidates on the " tickets" of particular organisations were to be seen. Gther interests had their cards, while there v»ere some bearing the names of individuals in the elections. When the attitude of the police became apparent in the mcrning, at least one organisation sought a legal opinion. This and further police warnings caused many of those who had handing cardb to persons near the booths to abandon their task, but the practice was continued at some booths during the afternoon.