AFTER THE REFERENDA THERE IS STILL MUCH CHECKING TO BE DONE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27027, 11 March 1949, Page 4

AFTER THE REFERENDA THERE IS STILL MUCH CHECKING TO BE DONE

With the referenda over, the returning officers in the four Dunedin electorates began the task yesterday of scrutinising the rolls. In each polling booth the names of voters were marked on a roll; now the task is to transfer all these markings to a “ master ” roll for each electorate, for checking purposes. The official count of votes will begin next week.

Almost 350 persons were engaged in conducting the polling at the 155 booths in the four Dunedin electorates —Dunedin North, Dunedin Central, Mornington, and St. Kilda. On this figure, it can be assumed that 7000 were engaged in the 80 electorates throughout New Zealand. For their services, the deputy *at each polling booth received £3 for the day and the poll clerks £2 each. On this score alone, the cost of conducting the referenda in Dunedin would exceed £800; for the whole of New Zealand, almost £17,000.

The number of polling booths, and the approximate number of staff employed, in each Dunedin electorate were:—North Dunedin, 33 booths with a staff of 70; Dunedin Central, 41 booths with a staff of 95: Mornington. 32 booths and one mobile booth with a total staff of 74; St. Kilda, 49 booths with a staff of 105.

At many polling places there was more than one booth. For instance, in the St. Kilda electorate there were 23 polling places which comprised a total of 49 booths. The mobile booth in the Mornington electorate was actually a branch of another booth and its purpose was to visit Talboys Home for the convenience of the voters there. Most of the persons employed at the polling booths in Dunedin were members of the Public Service. A few others were students and there were also one or two retired men. Because no holiday was declared for the referenda, sufficient staff were not available without calling on members of the Public Service. These took the day off to work in the polling booths with the approval of the Public Service Commission. They received their fee of £3 or £2 (less tax) for the day as well as their normal day’s pay as members of the Public Service. Polling, generally, was heavier than expected, so that the staff, which was not as large as that engaged for a general election, was kept busy for most of the day. Voting was light in the morning, increased at lunch time, eased again, and -then reached its, peak between 4.30 and 5.30 p.m., when there were queues at most booths. The reason for this was that many business concerns, including factories, allowed their staff the statutory hour off to vote from 4 p.m. onwards. That many people are away from their homes at this time of the year, either on holiday or travelling, was indicated in the voting.- For instance, the number of absentee voters at the Town Hall booths was 278—a record. In the Dunedin Central electorate alone there are almost 1000 absentee votes to come from various parts of New Zealand. For St. Kilda, out of a total on the roll of 14,300, there are 550 absentee votes to come from throughout the country. Another feature on Wednesday war, that far more people than usual required to vote on declaration, which showed that they had neglected to inform the registrar of electors of their change of address. Only a small number of sick persons voted on Wednesday. For instance, there were only 65 postal votes in the St. Kilda electorate compared with an average of 500 at a general election. The reason <awas no doubt that no interested party employed cars or taxis to take people to vote as is done by the parliamentary candidates at general elections. The tables, chairs, screens, boxes, and all the rest of the electoral paraphernalia were safely back at the Town Hall yesterday morning. The registrar of electors at Dunedin, Mr G. A. Hislop. began his task .yesterday of checking about 1000 signatures of postal voters and those absentee voters who had made application for voting papers.