DRAINAGE ELECTION.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5113, 11 April 1927, Page 3

DRAINAGE ELECTION.

QUALIFICATION OF VOTERS.

TANGLE UNRAVELLED.

At the forthcoming election of trustees of the Hauraki United Drainage Board all persons whose names appear on the valuation roll for the district may exercise a vote.

Up to the present a great deal of confusion has existed owing to the peculiar circumstances of the election, for the amalgamation of drainage boards has been such a rare occurrence that many deficiencies in the Lands Drainage Act were not discovered by the Internal Affairs Department until the union of the Hauraki and Horahia districts necessitated an investigation as to the procedure to be followed. Several Acts deal with local body elections, and there are numerous amending Acts which conflict, thus there have been many different interpretations. Until recently the returning officer, M. W. E. G. Willy, interpreted the numerous regulations to provide, that the election was to be conducted under what is termed the county qualification. This provides that a person owning land with a valuation less than £lOOO shall be entitled to ono vote, those owning land up to £2OOO in valuation two votes, and these whose land exceeds £2O-00 in valuation three votes. Non-payment of county rates would disfranchise an elector. This was the procedure adopted by authority at the election of the trustees of the Horahia Drainage Board when it was first constituted. To obtain definite information on the matter Mr Willy telegraphed the Internal Affairs Department. The Hauraki Drainage Board at one of its later meetings also decided to approach the department, as it contended that the two drainage districts had not been wiped out; therefore the election should be conducted under the Drainage Acts, which provided that disfranchisement could only- result from the non-payment of drainage rates. The number of votes alowable is also different. Land valuation up to £5OO gives one vote, up to £lOOO two votes, and over £lOOO three votes.

In a very long telegram the Internal Affairs Department has now advised the returning officer, Mr W. E. G. Willy, that the number of votes to which a person is entitled shall be according to the county qualification, but that the section of the Counties Act relative to the disqualification of county electors does not apply. Nothing is said about disqualification of drainage rates, thus everyone whose name appears on the valuation roll as owning land in th e district lately constituted the Hauraki United Drainage District will be eintitled to vote. ROLL OF ELECTORS. The provisions of the Act concerning local body elections which came into force a few weeks ago will apply to this election. Thus, if a name is omitted from the roll when it should have appeared, the elector will not be debarred from voting. On the signing of a declaration voting papers will be given him, but his votes will not be counted until his right to vote has been ascertained. ’ Tim penalty for a false declaration is £5O. Another alteration provides that a person' may exercise more than three votes and may vote on behalf of several properties -or on behalf of several firms, societies, partnerships, etc., provided he has been propemy authorised so to do. ' Thus, a firm may authorise a person to vote on its behalf by providing him with a signed and scaled resolution for delivery to the deputy returning officer, and in the case of a partnership one member may vote on the delivery of a document signed by the other partner.

The system of voting whereby a cross was to be placed alongside the names of the candidates preferred has been abolished, and in future electors will be required to mark out the names of the candidates whom they do not wish to vote for.