H.—39

10

37. (1.) The count of the votes by the Returning Officer may be adjourned from time to time as the Returning Officer deems necessary. (2.) Each adjournment and also the time and place for the continuation of the count shall be announced to the scrutineers and officers by the Returning Officer. (3.) Before any such adjournment all ballot-papers and other documents connected with the count shall be locked up by the Returning Officer in one or more ballot-boxes or other safe receptacle under seal ; and any scrutineer who may desire to do so shall be permitted by the Returning Officer to place his special seal upon the outer cover of the receptacle or receptacles in which such ballot-papers and documents are locked up. 38. As soon as conveniently may be after the counting of the votes has been completed the Returning Officer shall publicly declare the result of the poll, and the persons declared to be elected shall be deemed to be elected accordingly. PARI 1 IV. Miscellaneous. 39. Section forty of the principal Act is hereby amended by repealing subsection four, and substituting the following subsections : — " (4.) Save as otherwise provided in the next succeeding subsection, there shall be a separate Registrar for every electoral district, who may also be the Returning Officer for the same district. " (4a.) One Registrar may be appointed for any two or more districts in. each of which is comprised any part of the cities of Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin." 40. Section fifty-two of the Legislature Amendment Act, 1910, is hereby amended, by repealing subsections three to seven thereof, and substituting the following subsection : — " (3.) The Returning Officer shall transmit to the Registrar of the district the copy of the roll marked in accordance with the provisions of subsection one hereof, and the Registrar shall, as and when directed by the Chief Electoral Officer, make inquiries with respect to the persons shown thereon as not having voted ; and no such person shall have his name removed from the roll unless it is proved to the satisfaction of the Registrar that he has ceased to be qualified as an elector of the district." 41. (1.) Any registered elector who retains his qualification for registration as an elector of the district for which he is registered shall, in the case of a general election, be entitled to vote at any polling-place outside that district in such manner and on such conditions as may be prescribed by regulations in that behalf; and, in the case of a by-election, may vote at any post-office outside the district at any time while that post-office is open for the transaction of ordinary business. (2.) Nothing in this section shall apply with respect to seamen. (3.) The foregoing provisions of this section shall apply with respect to any poll taken under the Licensing Act, 1908. 42. (1.) The following classes of persons, not being registered as electors of any district, may, on making a declaration in the prescribed form that they are qualified to be enrolled as electors, vote as electors of the district in which they are resident, namely : — (a.) Any person whose name is ruled out on any certified copy of the roll supplied to the Returning Officer pursuant to section twenty-four of the Legislature Amendment Act, 1910 ; or (b.) Any person who, having applied for enrolment as an elector at any time before six o'clock in the afternoon of the day of the issue of the writ, and having been informed by the Registrar that he has been enrolled, has not been so enrolled.

Count may be adjourned.

Declaration of result of poll.

Section 40 of principal Act amended.

Seotion 52 of Amendment Act, 1010, amended.

Absent voters

Certain poisons entitled to vote on making declaration as to qualifications.