VOTES ALREADY CAST

Taranaki Daily News, 9 November 1935, Page 9

VOTES ALREADY CAST

ELECTORS AT AUCKLAND DEPARTURE BY THE WANGANELLA. CHANCE OF "SCRATCHING” TAKEN. CANDIDATES NOT YET NOMINATED. By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. Votes were cast by a number of Auckland electors who left later by the Wanganella for Sydney and who were willing to take a chance that their favourite candidate for Parliament would not be "scratched” before the closing of nomination on Tuesday. Thus they not only placed themselves outside the shores of New Zealand but also put themselves irrevocably beyond the blandishments of rival candidates. Exercise of the franchise in this way is made possible by the postal voting system, which permits a postal vote after the necessary formalities to be cast at any time after the issue of an election writ and before the closing of the poll, provided all requirements are met. A postal vote instead of being sent through the post may be cast and delivered personally in the presence of the returning officer for the elector’s district. Votes cast to-day, with others that will be received by the returning officer, will be locked away in secret and not put into the poll until the official count. The count made on the night of polling day is provisional only, postal votes and absent votes not being included in it.