CITY ELECTIONS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17032, 4 May 1923, Page 1

CITY ELECTIONS.

THE INFORMAL VOTES. CAUSES ANALYSED. The final checking of papers, etc., in connection with the local bodies elections just concluded was completed this morning. The deputy-returning officer (Mr A. Freeman) expressed himself as well pleased at the way the papers had been dealt with. He expressed appreciation of the help that had been given him by officers of the City Council, particularly on election night, when all the boxes from the deputies came to hand. Details of the 1498 informal votes (.net in the City Council election were available to-day. They afford a c : emonstration of how difficult it is to educate the people up to the correct method of voting. The informal votes fell into three divisions, as follow:

In the cases of wrong numbering some extraordinary things were done. Some people marked tlieir preferences on both sides of the paper, and completed the confusion by placing different figures against the one name. In some cases strange markings that conveyed no meaning were used, while in others the voters kept no check of preferences already given and so reduced their markings to a meaningless jumble. Some people set out, evidently, to make certain by both numbering and crossing out names. In ihese cases, where the preferences were correctly marked, the votes were allowed. No cases of “plumping” came under notice this time. At the •previous election “plumping” had accounted for eighty of the informal papers.

THE LOAN POLL.

As a result of the final scrutiny it has been found that the total informal votes cast on the loan poll were 3 547. In regard to the eligibility or otherwise of electors to vote on the loan poll, very careful instructions were issued to all the deputy-returning officers. The following memorandum was handed to each poll clerk : “ Please bear in mind that any person whose name appears on the roll under a ‘ residential ’ qualification is not entitled to vote at this poll. Only persons who possess a ‘ ratepayer ’ or ‘ freehold’ qualification are entitled to vote. Be particularly careful not to infringe this regulation, as such a breach can invalidate the poll.” Some amazing things were done by people who voted on the loan proposal, and an examination of the invalid papers has caused the officials almost to despair of ever getting the voters to observe the instructions given to them. The form of voting paper issued set out each issue opposite the numbers 1 and 2 respectively. No less than 274 people crossed out one or other of the**. figures under the impression, evidently, that they were ■thereby voting for the issue they favoured. Even a greater number of people maxked their papers with figures in the wa«> bad

done their City Council and Hospital Board papers. The largest number of informal papers were the blanks, where people apparently could not make up their minds which issue to vote for and so had left the whole lliing alone. Details of the informal votes are :

Blank .... . 146 Wrongly numbered . 588 Old system ot voting » . 764 Total . 1498

Blank .... . 555 Cross or undefined. . BOR Both tines our . 109 Marked with figures . 301 Figures crossed out « . 274 Total * * • jL.547