1186
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 35

(b) If satisfied that the signature on the certificate is that of the elector who signed the application for the certificate, and if in his opinion the signature purports to be witnessed by an authorized witness, record the vote in the manner prescribed for ordinary votes; but if he is not so satisfied, or if in his opinion the signature does not purport to be witnessed by an authorized witness, disallow the ballot-paper without opening the envelope in which it is contained:

(c) After the votes have been recorded, as provided by the last preceding paragraph of this clause, make up into separate parcels—

(i) All postal vote-certificates relating to postal ballot-papers;

(ii) All unopened envelopes containing postal ballot-papers disallowed;

(d) Forward the said parcels with the ordinary ballot-papers to the Clerk of the House of Representatives.

(22) A postal ballot-paper shall not be informal because of any mistake in spelling of a candidate’s name, if the elector’s intention is otherwise clear.

(23) Every person who commits a breach of this regulation shall be liable to a fine of £100 or to imprisonment for a term of twelve months.

REGULATION 8.—POSTAL VOTING AT LICENSING POLL.

(1) Every elector at a general election to whom a postal vote-certificate is issued shall be given therewith a licensing voting-paper in the Form No. 2 in the Schedule to the Licensing Amendment Act, 1918, and, in the case of an elector registered in a “No License” electoral district, shall, in addition, be given therewith a voting-paper in the form of the Second Schedule to the Licensing Amendment Act, 1910.

(2) The Deputy Returning Officer shall mark such licensing voting-papers with the number allotted to the application in accordance with clause (12) of Regulation 7 hereof, and shall place his official mark thereon.

(3) The elector shall mark all licensing voting-papers by striking out the proposals for which he does not wish to vote and shall enclose them in the envelope containing the postal ballot-paper.

(4) Such voting-papers shall be dealt with in like manner to postal ballot-papers under Regulation 7 hereof, mutatis mutandis.

REGULATION 9.—REGISTRATION OF ELECTORS IN CHATHAM ISLANDS.

(1) For the purpose of the registration of electors resident in the Chatham Islands the Chief Electoral Officer shall appoint a Registrar of Electors, who shall in turn appoint such clerks as he deems necessary.

(2) The special supplementary roll of electors referred to in the said Act shall be prepared in alphabetical order of surnames, and shall contain the full Christian name, residence, and occupation or description of each elector.

(3) The names on the roll shall be numbered in arithmetical series beginning with the number one.

(4) Only such number of copies of the roll shall be prepared as may be required for official use.

REGULATION 10.—VOTING BY ELECTORS IN CHATHAM ISLANDS.

(1) For the purpose of taking the votes of electors resident in the Chatham Islands the Chief Electoral Officer shall appoint a Returning Officer, who shall in turn appoint such Deputy Returning Officers and poll clerks as he deems necessary.

(2) The Returning Officer shall appoint polling-places for the convenience of the electors, and shall provide in each polling-place a room or compartment for a polling-booth, and in each booth one or more inner compartments separated from but opening into the booth. In each booth two ballot-boxes shall be provided, one for the electoral poll and the other for the licensing poll, together with a sufficient number of electoral ballot-papers and of licensing voting-papers, and a copy of the special supplementary roll.

(3) The electoral ballot-paper shall be in accordance with the form numbered 16 in the First Schedule to the said Act, except that the names of the candidates need not be printed thereon, but may be written on the ballot-papers by the Returning Officer.

(4) For the purpose of exercising his vote an elector shall apply in person to a Deputy Returning Officer, and the Deputy Returning Officer, after having satisfied himself by reference to the roll that such person is entitled to vote and has not already voted, shall deliver to him a ballot-paper.

(5) Before giving a ballot-paper to an elector the Deputy Returning Officer shall enter on both the counterfoil and the top right-hand corner of the back of the ballot-paper a number (called a consecutive number) beginning with the number one in the case of the first ballot-paper issued by him, and on all succeeding ballot-papers issued by him the numbers shall be consecutive, so that no two ballot-papers issued in any booth shall bear the same number; he shall then fold over the corner of the ballot-paper so as to conceal the consecutive number, and shall secure the corner by gum or other effective means; on the counterfoil of the ballot-paper he shall also write his initials, and the number appearing on the roll against the name of the elector to whom the ballot-paper is to be given; on both the counterfoil and the back of the ballot-paper he shall place his official mark, and then draw a line in pencil or ink through the number and name of the elector on the roll as evidence that the elector has tendered his vote.

(6) The voter, having received a ballot-paper, shall retire into one of the inner compartments provided for the purpose, and shall mark his ballot-paper by striking out the names of the candidates for whom he does not wish to vote, and before leaving the inner compartment shall fold up his ballot-paper so that the contents cannot be seen, and, after showing the Deputy Returning Officer the official mark thereon, shall then deposit the ballot-paper, so folded, in the ballot-box.

(7) At the request of any voter who is blind, or is unable to read or write, the Deputy Returning Officer shall, together with any scrutineers (not exceeding two) who may be present, retire with him into the inner compartment, and there mark the ballot-paper according to the instruction of the voter; and such Deputy Returning Officer shall sign his own name 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.

(8) (a) 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.

(b) 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.

REGULATION 11.—LICENSING POLL IN CHATHAM ISLANDS.

(1) The licensing voting-papers in the Chatham Islands 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.

(2) The provisions of clause (5) of Regulation 10 hereof (relating to the marking of electoral ballot-papers by the Deputy Returning Officer) shall apply with respect to the licensing ballot-papers.

(3) 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.

(4) 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.

REGULATION 12.—COUNTING THE VOTES (CHATHAM ISLANDS).

(1) At the close of the poll the Deputy Returning Officer at any polling-place in the Chatham Islands 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 Returning Officer.

(2) When all the ballot-boxes and parcels have been received by the 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;