COUNT OF VOTES

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 8, 5 October 1943, Page 4

COUNT OF VOTES

Some Civilian Returns Completed

OFFICIAL FIGURES

Results Of Forces Polling

Awaited

With a view to clarifying the situation as soon as possible in those electorates where the issue is doubtful and generally expediting the completion of the official count of the votes polled at the general election, the special returning officers for the armed forces overseas have been instructed by the Chief Electoral Officer, Mr. L. Irwin, to concentrate on electorates in progressive order according to the size of majorities. Oamaru, with the smallest majority (4), is to be taken first, then New Plymouth with the next smallest (38), then Raglan, where there is a margin of 51 votes between the two leading can’didates, and so on. Official counts of the civilian returns, including the absent, postal, seamen's and declaration votes, have already been completed for several electorates. These figures will be subject to amendment as a result of the addition of the official returns of the votes of the armed forces. It cannot be said at present when these will be available, but it is unlikely to be before well into next week, as scrutineers appointed by Hie various parties have to go to the Pacific to bo present at the official count of forces’ votes in that area. Return of Writs.

The writs are returnable by next Monday, but in view of the arrangements that have been made for scrutineers to go to the Pacific it will be impossible for returning officers to have the official count of the Pacific votes by that day. Presumably writs will be returned based on the official return of the civilian votes and the preliminary count of the armed forces’ votes, for there is authority for them to be amended should, that be necessary. - Official returns of civilian votes completed yesterday included Otaki. On tlie civilian figures the National Party candidate, Mr. B. V. Cooksley, has a majority of 77 over Mr. L. G. Lowry, the Labour candidate. The placings, 'however, are likely to be reversed when the official return of the forces’ voting is taken into account, for on the preliminary figures Mr. Lowry ha'd 504 of these votes and Mr. Cooksley 249. With the completion of the official count in Christchurch North the Leader of tlie Opposition, Mr. Holland, has a majority of 2580 over his Labour opponent, Mr. G. Manning, states fl Press Association message from Christchurch. The only votes still to be included are servicemen’s votes, both in New Zealand and overseas. On the night of the poll, including service votes to hand at. that time, Mr. Holland ha'd a majority of 2110. Of the postal, absentee and seamen’s votes Mr. Holland secured 655 out of 1023 cast, a total of 65 per cent. Voting in Pacific. The voting system used for the members of the forces was a modification of the postal voting method whereby the voter writes on a blank ballotpaper the name of the candidate for whom he wishes to vote. In an article in tlie Melbourne “Herald,” that journal’s correspondent, in the South Pacific, Mr. Winston Turner, formerly of “The Dominion,” wrote as follows about the arrangements made for vot- [ ing by members of the New Zealand Forces in the Pacific: — “Lists of candidates will be displayed in prominent places, and each party will be given equal opportunity to distribute manifestos so that the troops can make their vote intelligently. . . . Each soldier will be given a blank slip, will write on it his choice, fold the paper and place it in a sealed ballot box. . . . There will be 76 polling booths-scattered throughout the South Pacific —from islands oil tlie coast of Australia, through the Solomons, New Hebrides, New, Caledonia, Fiji aud Tonga to Samoa. Men will-vote in native grass huts, in tents, in tin huts and in the open. They will also vote in tlie wardrooms of cruisers,- and on the decks of minesweepers and tiny patrol cruft. They will travel to the polling booths in jeeps, in trucks, or afoot; in native canoes, launches, landing barges and sail-boats. They will fly in from patrol to vote at the polling booths on airfields. Not one man has beeu overlooked. In some cases there will be only three men at a polling booth. In at least one case a man will have to vote by radio. New Zealanders on lonely island outposts—even the New Zealanders leading native troops in the New Georgia fighting—will vote.”

The representative of the National Party at the scrutiny of the ofllcial count of votes by New Zealand service personnel in Hie Pacific area will b* Mr. M. S. Nestor, private secretary to the Leader of the Opposition. Tbe Independent. Group (People’s Movemeut) will be represented by Air. W. Sinton, liinuera, Auckland, fattier of Flying Ollieer E. W. Siijton, the group’s candidate for Remuera at the general election. The official counts of civilian votes have been completed in the following electorates, as under: —

OTAKI. Cooksley, B. V. (N.) ....... 4(549 Dowry. L. G. (L.) 4372 Barnett. R. J. (D.L.) 395 Crawford, W. J. (I.G.) ... 382 NAPIER. Armstrong, A. E. (L.) Spence, M. S. (N.) 5024 3921 Barnard, W. E. (I.) 2253 STRATFORD. Polson, W. .1. (N.) Richmond, E. E. (L.) 5257 3220 Markwick, A. E. (D.L.) ... 28!) CHUISTCIIURCII NORTH. Holland. S. G. (N.) S32S Manning, G. (L.) Parry, J. T. L. II. (D.L.) .. Walker. L. C. (I.) 5748 489 450 Fere. Hand T. (L.) 59 CHRISTCHURCH EAST. Howard, Mabel B. (L.) 8735 Brown, R. G. (N.) 3313 Schon, II. T. (D.L.) Whiley, F. (R.D.M.) 1240 275 RICCARTON. Watts, J. J. (N.) Denton, H. E. (L.) 7253 5839 Beauchamp, R. It. (D.L.) 955 Kyle, II. S. S. (I.G.) 245