INFORMAL VOTES

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 518, 22 November 1928, Page 6

INFORMAL VOTES

HOW ELECTORS NULLIFY! THEIR PAPERS CARELESS MISTAKES A voting system absolutely foolproof would be entitled to an honoured place among the seven wonders of the world. At least, this is the opinion of several returning officers in Auckland. Despite the simplicity of the system and the explicit instructions printed on voting papers and declarations, it is surprising to note the extent to which informal votes appear. These are more frequently met with in absentee’s, postal, seamen’s anddeclaration votes. In one instance a seaman applied for his seaman’s right for an Auckland electorate and went to the trouble of depositing his vote with the Customs Department when his ship sailed, but, unfortunately, he voted for a candidate ; standing for another electorate. Numerous irregularities were encountered in the postal votes. These were issued by the returning officers on receipt of an application witnessed by some authorised person showing that the elector was unable to vote in person lit a polling booth. Definite instructions are contained on the paper sent by registered mail that the vote is to be witnessed by certain authorised persons, such as a medical practitioner, minister of religion, justice of the peace, registered nurse, or any person appointed by the registrar. Yet many have been returned witnessed by unauthorised persons; in some instances by domestic servants and fellow patients. These votes can only be classed as informal. DELIBERATELY INFORMAL Numerous people have also voted by declaration, but their applications for registration cannot be traced. In several instances voters by declaration have been discovered to have been already enrolled in their electoral district. Then, of course, are the usual informalities in the regular votes. In some instances all names have been crossed out, and in others all but two. In a large number of instances, however, these are deliberately informal, this being indicated by several electors who have written “No choice” across the paper.