2934
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 79

at the foot thereof, and, if so required by the voter, shall allow a scrutineer or scrutineers to inspect such ballot-paper before depositing it in the ballot-box.

11. (1.) Any voter who before depositing his ballot-paper in the ballot-box satisfies the Deputy Returning Officer that he has spoilt it by inadvertence may be supplied with a fresh ballot-paper, but only after the spoilt one has been returned to the Deputy Returning Officer.

(2.) The Deputy Returning Officer shall cancel such spoilt ballot-paper by writing across the face thereof the words “spoilt by voter, and a fresh ballot-paper issued in lieu thereof,” and shall affix his initials thereto, and shall retain the spoilt ballot-paper in his possession until the close of the poll.

LICENSING POLL.

12. The licensing voting-papers shall be in the form No. 2 in the Schedule to the Licensing Amendment Act, 1918, and shall be issued to the elector simultaneously with his electoral ballot-paper.

13. The provisions of clause 8 of these regulations (relating to the marking of electoral ballot-paper by the Deputy Returning Officer) shall apply with respect to the licensing voting-papers.

14. For the purpose of exercising his vote on the licensing issues the elector shall strike out the proposals for which he does not wish to vote.

15. After marking his voting-paper the voter shall fold it so as to conceal the vote, and shall exhibit the official mark to the Deputy Returning Officer, and shall then deposit the voting-paper in the special box provided.

COUNTING THE VOTES.

16. At the close of the poll the Deputy Returning Officer shall not open the ballot-boxes, but shall seal the same, and shall make up into a parcel the copy of the marked roll, and all the unused and spoilt ballot-papers and voting-papers, and all forms and other documents used by him in connection with the taking of the polls, and shall forthwith deliver the boxes and parcels aforesaid to the Special Deputy Returning Officer.

17. When all the ballot-boxes and parcels have been received by the Special Deputy Returning Officer he shall, in the presence of such scrutineers and clerks as may be in attendance, open the ballot-boxes and ascertain the result of the voting, dealing with the electoral ballot-papers first. He shall then prepare a statement showing—

(a.) The total number of votes recorded for each candidate at each polling-place ;

(b.) The total number of votes recorded for each candidate at all polling-places ;

(c.) The total number of informal electoral votes ;

(d.) The number of votes recorded for each licensing proposal at each polling-place ;

(e.) The total number of votes recorded for each licensing proposal at all polling-places ;

(f.) The total number of informal licensing votes.

18. He shall reject as informal in the case of the electoral ballot-papers any ballot-paper that does not clearly indicate the candidate for whom the elector desires to vote. In the case of the licensing voting-papers he shall reject as informal all voting-papers in which the elector has failed to strike out any of the proposals, or in which he has struck out one only of the proposals, or in which he has struck out all the proposals.

19. As soon as practicable after ascertaining the result of the voting the Special Deputy Returning Officer shall transmit by wireless to the Returning Officer at Lyttelton—

(a.) The total number of votes recorded for each candidate ;

(b.) The total number of votes recorded in favour of national continuance ;

(c.) The total number of votes recorded in favour of State purchase and control ; and

(d.) The total number of votes recorded in favour of national prohibition.

20. On receipt of the notification of the result of the poll transmitted as aforesaid, the Returning Officer for the Lyttelton Electoral District shall take the same into account for the purposes of the declaration to be made pursuant to section 49 of the Legislature Amendment Act, 1910, and of the return to be furnished to the Minister of Justice pursuant to section 16 of the Licensing Amendment Act, 1910, as applied by section 58 of the Licensing Amendment Act, 1918.

21. After transmitting by wireless the results as aforesaid, all ballot-papers and voting-papers and other documents used in connection with the poll shall be forwarded by the Special Deputy Returning Officer under registered post by first mail to the Returning Officer at Lyttelton.

22. For the purpose of the foregoing regulations scrutineers may be appointed by the Special Deputy Returning Officer on the recommendation of the candidates, or in the case of the licensing poll on the recommendation of the organizing parties concerned as follows :—

(a.) One scrutineer for each polling-place may be appointed on behalf of each candidate ;

(b.) One scrutineer for each polling-place may be appointed on behalf of persons in favour of national continuance ;

(c.) One scrutineer for each polling-place may be appointed on behalf of persons in favour of State purchase and control ;

(d.) One scrutineer for each polling-place may be appointed on behalf of persons in favour of national prohibition.

23. The Special Deputy Returning Officer and every Deputy Returning Officer, poll clerk, or scrutineer under these regulations shall, before acting, make a declaration in the form in the Schedule hereto.

MAORI VOTING.

24. For the purpose of taking the votes of Maori electors the Special Deputy Returning Officer appointed under these regulations shall appoint such Deputy Returning Officers, poll clerks, and associates as he deems necessary for the effective taking of the poll at each polling-booth.

25. Every Deputy Returning Officer and poll clerk appointed hereunder shall, before acting in his office, make and subscribe before a Justice or a Postmaster a declaration that he will faithfully perform the duties of his office.

26. The Special Deputy Returning Officer shall appoint a sufficient number of polling-places for the convenience of electors.

27. On the day of the poll the electors shall enter the polling-booth one by one, and each elector when requested to do so by the Deputy Returning Officer or his associate shall state his full name, tribe, hapu, and abode. The Deputy Returning Officer (or his associate as above mentioned) shall write such information on the counterfoil of the voting-paper, after which the elector shall be requested to state the name of the candidate for whom he desires to vote, and, the elector having done so, the Deputy Returning Officer shall write such candidate’s name upon the voting-paper, and, having affixed his name or initials thereto, shall pass it to his associate, who shall place his name or initials on such voting-paper as witness.

28. On every such voting-paper the Deputy Returning Officer shall enter a number (called a consecutive number), which shall correspond to a like number on the counterfoil, and shall in the case of the first voting-paper dealt with begin with the number one. No two voting-papers dealt with in any booth shall bear the same number.

GENERAL.

29. Before recording any vote under these regulations the Deputy Returning Officer may put to the person proposing to vote any or all of the following questions :—

(a.) Are you a bona fide resident of the Chatham Islands ?

(b.) Are you twenty-one years of age or over that age ?

(c.) Have you already voted at this election in your own or any other name ?

30. If the first two questions are not answered absolutely in the affirmative, and the third question absolutely in the negative, the person to whom such questions are put shall not be permitted to vote.

31. No person not actually engaged in voting shall be allowed to remain in the polling-booth except the Deputy Returning Officer and his associate and clerks, and the scrutineers (if any).

32. No person shall speak to any voter in a polling-booth either before or after such voter has given his vote, except only the Deputy Returning Officer or his associate, who may ask the questions he is authorized to ask, and give such general directions as may assist any voter to give his vote.

33. Every poll under these regulations shall commence at nine o’clock in the forenoon of the day appointed, and shall close at four o’clock in the afternoon of that day, unless otherwise ordered by the Special Deputy Returning Officer.

34. Nothing in the foregoing regulations shall prevent a European elector whose name does not appear on the special supplementary roll from voting, provided that he satisfies the Deputy Returning Officer that he was qualified to be enrolled as an elector, and in every such case it shall be the duty of the Deputy Returning Officer to insert such name on his copy of the roll.

SCHEDULE.

DECLARATION BY DEPUTY RETURNING OFFICERS AND OTHERS.

I, [Name and description], do solemnly declare that I will maintain and aid in maintaining the secrecy of the ballot; and that I will not communicate to any person, except for some purpose authorized by law, any information likely to defeat the secrecy of the ballot; and that I will faithfully perform the duties of my office.

Declared before me this __ day of __, 19____.

Justice of the Peace [or Special Deputy Returning Officer, or Deputy Returning Officer].

F. D. THOMSON,
Clerk of the Executive Council.

By Authority: W. A. G. SKINNER, Government Printer, Wellington.

Price, 6d.]
[970/11/22—16464