BY-ELECTION TO-DAY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 90, Issue 167, 20 July 1946, Page 4

BY-ELECTION TO-DAY

CITY COUNCIL SEATS THIRTEEN POLLING PLACES With six* candidates nominated for the three seats available, much interest is being; takerAin the by-elec-tion to be held in Wanganui to-day to fill extraordinary vacancies which occurred on the City Council recently. Thirteen polling places will be open in the city and sulmrbs from • a.m. till 6 p.m. and the result is expected to be known by eight o’clock to-night. The returning officer, Mr. C. R. White, will be asisted by 20 deputy returning officers and six rolls, one main and five supplementary, will be used for the election. Three candidates have been nominated by the Labour Party and three by the Wanganui Citizens’ Association. Labour nominees are Messrs. N. W. Bond. W. Searle and W. G. Price. Citizens’ candidates are Messrs. D. W. Earle, R. E. Jack and H. S. Delves. The most recent by-election was held on February 2, last, when Mr. M. G. Bignell (Citizens) was elected, the only other candidate being Mr. J. J. Scott (Labour). On that occasion there were 12 polling places, but an extra booth wwl be available to-day in the Railway Social Hall, Guyton Street. This m conveniently situated for a large number of residents. Other polling places will be located as follows: The Annexe, Municipal Opera House, St. Hill Street, Wanganui (principal). Methodist Schoolroom, Keith Street, Wanganui. St. Andrew’s Schoolroom, GlofcesteF Street, Wanganui. Hylton Hall, 165 Somme Parade, Aramoho. St. David’s Schoolroom, Somme Parade, Upper Aramoho. Presbyterian Sunday Schoolroom, Brassey Road, St. John’s Hill. Town Hall, Duncan Street, Wanganwi East. Elliott’s Shop, Poutini Street, Wanganui East. Town Hall, Tawa Street, Gonville. Shop. Puroa Buildings, GonviHf Junction. St. Vincent’s Schoolroom, Gornfoot Street, Castlecliff. Scout’s Hall, Portal Street, Durie Hill. The main roll and No. 1 Supplementary Roll were used at the triennial municipal elections m 1944. Since then four other supplementary rolls have been compiled, all of which will be used by the poll clerks to-day. The gross number of names on the rolls when Supplementary Roll No. 5 closed on July 6 was 18,459. Due to various causes, however, 2928 names have been omitted from the roDs, the nett number of persons enrolled for the election to-day being 15,531. Death, people known to have left Wanganui and transfers of property are the main reasons for names bciing omitted from the.rolls. Transfers of property account for the majority, but in these cases the names go on another roll, many of the electors so concerned having 1 lie new status of ratepayer. On the preliminary count at the February by-election, Mr. Bignell polled 3107 votes and Mr. Scott 2628. Informal votes totalled 34, and the number of votes cast was 5769, or only 37 per cent, of the 15,155 persons entitled to vote at that time. “I am anticipating heavy polling to-morrow, though this is something that will depend largely on the weather,” said Mr. White yesterday. He urged people to vote early and avoid the busy periods if possible. “I would also ask electors to queue up at the various booths if necessary,” Mr. White added. “By doing so they will serve their own interests best and extend the utmost co-operation to polling staffs. If electors exercise patience at busy periods and await their turn, they will ensure that polling proceeds smoothly throughout the day. The reason for this request is to avoid confusion and congestion.” The X or the positive system of voting will apply to-day. The elector is required to place a cross in the square opposite the name of the candidate for whom he wishes to vote. Should these crosses exceed the number of vacancies to be filled, the voting paper will be informal. All arrangements for the by-elec-tion are compete, and if the weather remains fine to-day there should be a large poll.