BIGGEST VOTE YET

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 194, 15 May 1944, Page 4

BIGGEST VOTE YET

Wellington Civic Elections Prospect

STAFF OF MORE THAN 1000 Wellington faces the prospect of the biggest municipal election in its history. These elections sec 80,344 persons registered to vote. Nothing like this total has previously been known; in 1941, it was 60,482. The returning officer, Mr. J. Norrie, has prepared to meet a bumper poll. There will be 112 polling places, with 262 booths, against 75 places and 182 booths in 1941. A staff of more than 1000 has been arranged, and the sum of £5500 has been estimated to cover the expenses of the elections; the actual cost in 1941 was £3600.

Each booth will have a deputy returning officer, plus deputies-infharge at busier polling places. Poll clerks total 786, an extra one to each deputy returning officer being provided for this time. This is to meet the situation created by the prospective considerable voting, plus the taking of three loan polls in conjunction with local body voting. Ratepayers will have seven voting papers to fill in, mayoralty, council, hospital board, harbour board, and three loans. If they record the full number of selections available they will have to make 33 voting crosses in respect of the local bodies —this applies to all entitled to vote —plus a decision on each loan poll. These loans are: Special works. £BB,OOO (constructing street works, including footpaths, £54,000. constructing stormwater drainage £34.000). Suburban libraries at Island Bay. Brooklyn, Northland, Ngaio and Khandallah £30,000. Waterworks, £125,000 (constructing reservoirs, feeder mains, and providing improvements to city water services). Grand total of loans, £243,000. The biggest polling place will be the Town Hall, with 16 booths. The Trades Hall will have eight, Oddfellows’ Hall (Kent Terrace) six, and some others four to six each.

Outside Wellington there will be polling places at Day’s Bay pavilion, Lower Hutt, Petone, Paraparaumu Beach, Trentham Camp. A big task faces the returning officer. His job covers an area which takes in five Parliamentary electorates, and half of another. A Parliamentary election, however, has a returning officer for each electorate.

It is estimated; that final results will not be available till close to midnight on polling day, May 27. Voting will be from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.