First Full Postal Ballot For Taupo County Elections

Taupo Times, Volume XIV, Issue 68, 31 August 1965, Page 1

First Full Postal Ballot For Taupo County Elections

In an endeavour to overcome public apathy at election time, the Taupo County Council will conduct the forthcoming local elections by postal ballot. The council has taken this step with the consent of the Minister of Internal Affairs in an effort to improve the poor polling returns obtained in the 1962 elections. It is felt that since 40 per cent. of the county ratepayers live outside the county, and are entitled to exercise their votes by post in any case, the remaining' 60 per cent. should be offered the same facilities. Voting closes for the county elections at 4 p.m. on election day, October 9.

A reduetion in costs of the election is anticipated. The only previous venture by a local body into postal voting was in 1962 when Mackenzie County conducted a poll over two ridings only and achieved voting returns of 90.6 per cent. and 88.3 per cent. as against 38 per cent. and 59 per cent. respectively in 1959 by orthodox voting. In terms of the Local Elections and Polls (Experimental Procedures) Order, 1965. which will regulate the conduct of the postal election, every elector on the county electoral roll will receive, by October 1, 1965, an envelope containing all the voting papers to which lie is entitled, together with a stamped addressed envelope for return of the papers. He will be asked to mark his voting papers according to directions enclosed with them and return them promptly to the returning officer.

Only those votes which are returned by 4 p.m. on polling day will be counted. Special arrangements for frequent delivery of mail will be made with the Post Office for poll- ' ing day. The results of this experiment will be scrutinis®d very clogely by both oentral and local government, and provided they are reasonably conclusive, there is every possibility that this and other slmilar experiments carried out. by other local authorities may pioneer desirable

changes in local body electoral legislation. Electors of Taupo County can make their contribution to the experiment by returning their ballot papers promptly.