POLL VOTING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27012, 22 February 1949, Page 3

POLL VOTING

The following information has been issued by the returning officer for the Oamaru electorate with regafd to postal voting in connection with Gaming Act and licensing poll to be held on March 9. The system is available to electors who are ill or infirm or who through other reasons allowed by the postal voting regulations are unable to attend a polling place to vote. . . A special postal voting booth has been set up in the electoral office at the Oamaru Courthouse A postal vote can be exercised at any time from February 15 to 7 p.m. on March 9, 1949. No written application is necessary. On a request being made by a person authorised to apply on behalf of an elector (whose name appears on the roll) a special declaration form will be issued, together with voting papers, and an envelope for placing the voting papers in after the voter has exercised his or her vote, together with an envelope to return all papers to the returning officer. All papers must be returned before 8 p.m. on March 9, The returning officer requests that any person who intends to vote by postal vote to do so immediately rather than leave the matter until the day of the poll. On the day of the poll postal votes can be issued by a deputy returning officer from any booth, but it is usually found that these officers are so busy taking ordinary votes that they are put to a certain amount of inconvenience if an application is received for a postal vote. Furthermore, in the rush and stress which usually occur on a polling day there is a risk that some technical matter may not be attended to and the vote will not be allowed. It is therefore advised that all postal votes be exercised immediately, certainly before the day of the poll, in order to avoid a last minute rush.