STILL IN DOUBT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 232, 1 October 1943, Page 4

STILL IN DOUBT

ELECTION RESULTS THOUSANDS MORE VOTES

(Special). Wellington, Sept. 30. The state of parties for the new Parliament is likely to remain in doubt for some time. Many thousands of rotes are still to be added to the preliminary counts made after last Saturday’s polling in the Genera! Election, and the number for eaen electorate is so great that the distribution could quite easily alter the result when the present difference between the leading candidates even amounts to several hundreds of votes. Absentee, postal, seamen’s, and declaration votes have not yet been included in the totals polled by candidates, and there are still some thousands of Service votes to be taken into account. Absentee and postal votes lor each electorate represent a substantial number. In Invercargill, for instance, there are already 741 absentee and 449 postal votes to be included when the offiical count takes place, so that, with outstanding Service votes also to be considered, the final figures for that electorate arc likely to increase in total by something like 1200. Palmerston, Hamilton and New Plymouth are other cases in which absentee and postal vote’s run into four figures, and in numerous other electorates the number of these votes still to be reckoned with approaches the thousand mark. More than a few of the seats, therefore, can still be held to be in doubt.

Taking thirteen of the seats which may be placed In that category, the absentee and postal votes so far received and not yet included in the totals of votes cast for candidates in those electorates show an average of approximately 850 per electorate. To the Oamaru figures, which still show the National candidate (Mr. T. R. Beatty) to be leading the Minister of Health (Mr. Nordmeyer) by 4 votes, there are already to be added over 850 votes, of which 440 absentee and 416 postal have been received. As in all other cases they are not included until the official count takes place. New Plymouth, where the National candidate (Mr. Aderman) leads the Labour candidate (Mr. Frost) by 37, already is known to have 1008 votes to be added to those shown in the preliminary count. The present additional number tor Otaki, where Mr. Lowry (Labour) leads Mr. Cooksley (National) by 62. is 941; and for Wairarapa, where Mr. Roberts (Labour) leads Mr. Maher (National) by 84, it is 520. So far in Waitemata where Mr. Morton (National) leads Mrs. Dreaver (Labour) by 121, there are known to be 975 additional votes quite apart, as in the other instances given, from the remaining servicemen's votes.

In the thirteen electorates in which the issue is so close that it would be possible for the final result to be altered by the distribution of the advtional votes the numbers of absentee, postal, and seamen’s votes already to be taken into account are:—

In some other cases the total absentee, postal, and declaration votes exceeds the present majority shown by leading candidates, but it is not expected that the distribution of these votes will affect the position in these particular electorates. Votes by declaration are also to be included in the official count. These, of course, are subject to close investigation bv the returning officers, who may find that some of them are not acceptable. As an indication of the number of declaration votes that may possibly affect a result there is the case of Christchurch South, for which the number is 121. Such votes after examination are not always accepted in their entirety, but the number shows the possibilities that may arise from declaration votes alone. Another case is Christchurch East, witn 76 declaration votes. However, in these two electorates the result is in no doubt. The declaration votes in these electorates in which the issue is in doubt are not available. Before the official count takes place in each electorate a scrutiny of the rolls is made, this being a necessary preliminary to the official count. The scrutiny (now proceeding) may occupy several days, and it is probable that it may be a week or two before the official count, with the inclusion of all the additional votes, is made known in many of the electorates. It was indicated by the Chief Electoral Officer (Mr. L. Irwin) yesterday that the totals in all electorates would show a substantial increase. There had been a steady flow of votes to the returning officers since the preliminary count, and in the case of Service votes it was possible that not a few of them, because of special circumstances, would not be received for some time to come. Every effort was being made to have them in hand as speedilv as possible, though it was not unlikely that the ultimate results of the ballot in some electorates might not be known for months. Mr. Irwin did not think, however, that this would delay returning officers unduly with their declaration of the result. If there was a likelihood of servicemen's delayed votes having a material effect upon the result there was provision for an amended declaration of the poll being made by the returning officers.

VOTES FROM OVERSEAS NO FURTHER PRELIMINARY RETURNS (P.A.) Wellington, Sept. 30. It was stated to-day by the Chief Electoral Officer. Mr. L. Irwin, that no further preliminary returns of votes cast in the General Election were expected 'torn overseas, as the returning officers were busy preparing for their official cc-mt. which entails the assembling of all votes, in which approximately 55.000 absent, postal and seamen's votes arc to be included. The counting on election night showed that t <e approximate total of the civilian votes was 764.000 and that of the forces, both in New Zealand and overseas, was 73,000,

Absentee. Postal. Seamen. Eden 664 270 13 Hamilton 842 236 — Marlbor’gh ... 402 421 •— Masterton 489 218 Motueka 376 118 2 Nelson 566 365 36 N. Plymouth 639 369 1 Oamaru 440 41.6 4 Otahuhu 457 249 2 Otaki 609 330 2 Palm. N 683 366 0 Wairarapa ... 438 82 —■ Waitemata ... 644 324 7