MAORI ELECTIONS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 85, 1 December 1931, Page 4

MAORI ELECTIONS

TWO BOOTHS IN ROTORUA FOR VOTING IN TO-DAY'S CONTEST MAORI VOTING SYSTEM Polling in the Maori electorates throughout New Zealand will take place to-day and the results will be known on the eve of the European election to-morrow. Rotorua comes within the Eastern Maori electorate for which the central returning officer is at Gisborne. Two booths will be established in the town and the hours for voting will be between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., except in cases where other hours are fixed at the discretion of the returning officer. One of the Rotorua booths will be at the meeting house at Ohinemutu and one at the meeting ho^ise at Whakarewarewa. Mr. Rangi Royal will be returning officer at Ohinemutu and Mr. Kepa Ehau at Whakarewarewa. b Two candidates are contesting the Eastern Maori seat, the sitting member, Sir Apirana Ngata, Minister for Native Affairs, who is representing the Coalition interests, and Mr. Pita Moko, of Ratana, who is standing as a Ratana candidate. - The system of Maori voting is somewhat different from that adopted in the European constituencies. There is.no Maori roll, but each voter as he or she presents himself or herself at the booth is required to make a declaration to the returning officer. This declaration shows the Christian name, surname, sex, tribe*, sub-tribe, and place of abode. The Voter is also required to make a declaration that he or she is not registered on the European roll. • • The results of tfie polling in- the t\Vo Rotorua feooths should be known ahout 6 p.m". to-day and the complete results of the Maori elections later in the,evening. V, t ■ ' l '