Postal Voting For Local Body Elections

Wanganui Chronicle, 1 November 1950, Page 2

Postal Voting For Local Body Elections

An explanation of the postal voting procedure which is to be adopted at the local body elections for the first time this month, was given by the returning officer, Mr. F. L. Nicol, at a meeting of Rangitikei county ratepayers held at Greatford on Monday night.

Although postal voting had been authorised for Government elections since 1928, this would be the first time such a privilege had been extended to local body electors, said Mr. Nicol. There was, however, a great deal of difference between the Government and local body postal voting regulations. Under the former system there were seven reasons entitling an elector to have a postal vote, including absence from New Zealand and being more than two miles from the nearest booth on election day. The deputy returning flicer at any booth was entitled to issue the necessary papers. With the recent passing of the Local Elections and Polls (postal voting) Regulations 1950, there were only three reasons entitling the issue of postal votes, added Mr Nicol. Briefly they were: (1). Travelling throughout the hours of polling; (2) illness, infirmity or approaching maternity and (2), religious objection to voting on a Saturday. The other great difference was that with local body elections and polls only the returning officer, and not a deputy officer, could issue the papers. Any elector who would qualify for a postal vote on the day of the local body elections, said Mr. Niool, should make application to the returning officer without delay as the papers had to be returned to him before closing of the booths on election day.