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Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1307, 15 June 1880, Page 2

To-aiORROW.the electors of this district will be called upon to elect a member of the House of Representatives to fill the vacancy occasioned by the resignation of Mr. T. W. Hislop. They have three candidates to choose from, all of whom have now addressed meetings in every portion of the district. The electors have therefore had full opportunities of hearing the views of those who are now seeking their suffrages. That they will weigh well the opinions given expression to by the candidates we have no doubt, and that they will wisely use the privilege

accorded to them of freely voting for the man whom they consider best qualified to represent them, We ate equally certain:- No matter what the result may be, we shall feel satisfied that the electors have faithfully performed their duty—that, they have voted in accordance with their honest convictions. We are therefore content to leave the question of who shall represent the district to the electors, and shall not in any way attempt to dictate to them how they should vote. There is one matter, however, upon which we think it desirable to make a few remarks, and that is the method of recording votes., We do so because there are so .many new electors upon the roll, numbers of whom have probably never before recorded their votes. For their information then wemay state that.on entering the polling booth and satisfying'the Returning Officer of their identity, they will have a ballot paper placed in their hands. Uponitbis will be printed in plain type the names of the candidates, They will then retire behind a screen, and, after carefully drawing a pencil through the names of the tw;o candidates for whom they do not wish tp .vote, fold the paper up in such a manner that its contents cannot be seen. They will then place the paper in the ballot-box, - and the whole process of voting will be completed. The greatest care should be exercised in striking out in an unmistake-. able manner two of" the names and making clear the candidate for whom the elector wishes to record his vote. Many votes have been lost through carelessness in this re? spect. There is just one other matter that we would call attention to, and that is that the 'electors need not have any fear when recording their votes that the manner in which they .vote will become known to anyone.