“VOTING GONE MAD.”

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17525, 30 April 1925, Page 7

“VOTING GONE MAD.”

UNUSUAL FEATURES OF POLL. RETURNING OFFICER’S ! DIFFICULTIES. N oting almost gone mad,’* is the term in which Mr A. Freeman, assist-ant-returning officer, describes yesterday’s poll. He was in charge of all arrangements at the polls and for getting in the results. His army of polkclcrks and other officers numbered more than 450. The v/ay in which many of those laboured through a long, hard day, is best described in Mr Freeman’s own words:— “They began work at S 30 u.;n. Many of them did not finish until 1.30 a.m. to-clay. The worst experience was at Sydenham Park. lam deeply indebted to people who took voters from that booth to Battersea Street and Dawson Street in ears. I had a very good staff at Sydenham Park, but it was sorely tried. They dealt with 800 votes, which is too much for one staff. If I hare to arrange for that booth again. T shall duplicate the staff thers. The Rugby Street School was a close second. About S3O votes were recorded there, and the deputy did not finish until 1.45 a.m. It was impossible then to telephone the Jesuits which had to be carried in. Some officers carried their boxes from Knox Church School and Stanmore Road to the Municipal Chambers. Women were amongst those strenuous workers. All worked under very unfavourable conditions. to say the least. They could not have done it unless they had a keen personal interest in the city's affairs. In the circumstances, nobody will be surprised when I say that I have unbounded admiration for the staffs. I simply do not know how they did it. Each one was at his or her post in the morning, except one. who sent a substitute. At one booth 2GS votes had been cast at 1 p.m., 3bo at ; 5.G p.m.. 500 at G. 21 p.m.. and 58G at 7 p.m. The fine weather, and the irregularity with which votes were cast <

m respect to time, made for congestion between 5 p.m. and 7 p.in. At least 70 people were locked in one booth at 7 p.m., to record their votes. In some booths, the count did net begin until 7.30 p.m. “Delay in receipt of results was caused partly by the large vote—T must confess f did not expect a poll ol : 23,000 —although provision had been made for the increased number on the roll— by the first-past-the-post system, and by the failure of voteis to vote as early as they might have done. There were twenty-seven candidates for the City Council, and sixteen had to be elected. .Many of the offenders in respect to late voting wore women.’* Asked as to whether the excessive work in the booths and other defects could be obviated. ?>Jr Freeman said that there seemed to bo no means of getting in results sooner so long as voters bad such a long voting-paper athey bad to fill in for the City Council yesterday. One voting-paper, on the average, could not be counted on the count-sheet in less than a minute. He provided extra help for counting votes at some of the busiest booths. 71 certainlv improved matters, but was not sn I’fieient. The women workers attended to their duties very well. The. who!* position was governed by the size of the Citv Council voting-paper. Jt: was not for him to say what should he done, hut if half the council, instead of the whole of it. retired at each election. the work would Tie easictv..