ELECTION DAY

Waikato Times, Volume 132, Issue 22151, 24 September 1943, Page 4

ELECTION DAY

POLLING ARRANGEMENTS IMPROVED FACILITIES Although the number of candidates of various political colours who are offering their services to the electors tomorrow is probably a record, the election campaign would appear to have been one of the quietest for many years. Few candidates can claim to have had record attendances, though they may congratulate themselves on the orderly way in which the big majority of the meetings have been conducted. Interjections have been of a friendly nature in many cases and there have been little evidence of anything in the nature of personalities. The day of the election will be a public holiday after mid-day, under the Electoral Act. Sales of intoxicating liquors on any licensed premises after noon on that day are prohibited. Postal voting facilities are granted to electors who for various reasons will not be able to attend a polling booth on election day. Voting From 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Polling booths open at 9 a.m. tomorrow and close promptly at 7 p.m. It is hoped that some of the polling places will have completed their check and reported the result to headquarters at the Courthouse within half an hour, and the last ones soon after 8 o’clock. At the 1938 election Hamilton had 40 booths at 17 different places. Now, with greater facilities, the number of booths has been increased to 66 boths at 25 polling places. The number of deputies has been increased from 40 to 66, and there will be 128 poll clerks on duty. The first outside reitirn from the North Island to reach the chief electoral officer, Wellington, at the 1938 election was from the Palmerston North electorate. On that occasion the final result was in the hands of the returning officer at 7.39 p.m., and a few minutes afterward had reached Wellington. The returning officer for Palmerston North when the North Island record was made was Mr H. B. Reid, who has since been transferred to Hamilton.