THE ELECTION RETURNS

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 12, 9 October 1943, Page 4

THE ELECTION RETURNS

The general election was held a fortnight ago, and it was reported yesterday that the official returns of civilian votes had not then been received from 15 electorates. In some constituencies the results of the polling are not yet certain. It is only natural that people should be asking why the delays have occurred. . In New Plymouth, for instance, it is stated that there are 1009 civilian votes “yet to be taken into account.” In 1938 there were electorates where the number of absentee, postal and seamen’s votes exceeded that number, but the official counts were available four or five days after the date of the election. It would be interesting to know what has caused the prolonged delay on this occasion. In another electorate where at time of writing the final result is stated to be still in doubt, Raglan, it is said that there are a large number of civilian votes yet to be counted. That, surely, must mean yet to be recounted, unless the aggregate poll for the constituency has been very much heavier than was the case five years ago. In 1938 the total number of votes recorded in' Raglan was 9635, and the figures given last polling day came to 9263, so that, unless there are some special factors in connexion with the Raglan seat, the outstanding cannot be anything like as stated “several thousand It is difficult to understand why official counts should be available for some of the most scattered electorates in the Dominion —such as Rotorua and Bay of Plenty—but not yet available for places such as New. Plymouth and Raglan. If at the last election absentee, postal and other votes running into four figures, could be dealt with and the recounts announced within a few days, why should a fewer number of similar votes remain to be “taken into account practically a foitnight after this election? There can be no doubt that questions are being asked all over the country regarding the slowness and the method in declaring the official figures. The elections were held on September 25 and the official returns of civilian votes are still far from complete,'and apparently the totals already given include only the preliminary count of the forces’ votes. There should be some satisfactory official explanation of why and how this position has been permitted to develop.