CHAP. VI] THE LOWER HOUSES 
507 
The Act does not at present apply to the election of 
representatives of the Maori race, but the Governor is em- 
powered by Order in Council to bring the second ballot 
into operation at any time as regards Maoris. 
At the general election? held on November 17, 1908, in 
twenty-three electoral districts the candidate who polled 
the greatest number of votes failed to secure an absolute 
majority of all the votes polled. As the result of a second 
ballot fifteen of these candidates were elected and eight 
defeated, including the leader of the Opposition, Sir W. 
Russell. The total number of votes recorded in these 
districts at the first ballot, including 3,015 informal, was 
133,752, or 78 per cent. of the number on the rolls, and 
at the second ballot 126,404 valid votes and 403 informal 
were recorded, being 74 per cent. of the total roll number. 
Thus there was a decrease of 6,945 votes, and if to 
these be added 6,601 votes of electors who voted upon 
the second occasion only it is found that 13,546 persons 
who recorded their votes at the first failed to do so at the 
second ballot, 
A good deal of annoyance was caused to those candidates 
who were compelled to face a second election, and there 
was a movement at that time for the repeal of the Act before 
the next general election came on, but no steps have been 
taken to carry this movement into effect, though the point 
was raised during the discussion of the Electoral Act of 1910. 
One result of the Act was somewhat unexpected ; in cases 
where two members of the same party stood against a third 
member of a different party, and one of the two was defeated, 
the supporters of that member were inclined to transfer 
their own votes from their own party to the opposition, in 
consequence of the personal feeling engendered on that 
occasion. Moreover, the strain on members of further 
electioneering was undoubtedly very severe, especially 
owing to the comparatively large size of the constituencies 
and the need of travelling from township to township. 
The same principle of the second ballot was adopted by 
New Zealand Official Y ear Book, 1909, pp. 392, 393.