INTERFERING WITH A VOTER

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLV, Issue 11857, 21 June 1919, Page 5

INTERFERING WITH A VOTER

A YOUNG. MAN FINED. Per Press Association. Auckland, June 20 A young man named H. P. Clark came before Mir Wilson, S. M., today on a charge of having broken the Elections Act by having interfered with a voter proceeding to the polling booth with the intention of influencing hiswote. The admitted facts were that on the day of the municipal elections a voter going into<a polling booth was handed a card by defendant on which was printed ‘ ‘John Joll Thomas, energetic and experienced candidate, who stands for clean administration,” Defendant was not a paid agent, but had been merely '‘carrying on” for half an hour, while Mr Thomas the candidate, who had been watching his own interests at the spot, had some tea. Mr Dickson, for the defendant, argued that the-mero act of handing a candidate’s nameHo a voter was not an attempt to influence the voter and quite a customary proceeding in connection with an election. Senior-Sergt:. McNamara^ —Not within three days of the election. His Worship, stated that he considered it an interference with a voter to hand him a card bearing a candidates name, and it appeared to him that the obvious intention was to influence the voter’s mind on the subject of the elections. He was of opinion that this was generally recognised. Defendant would be fined £3 and 11s cost.