1929 Bay of Islands by-election

The Bay of Islands by-election of 1929 was a by-election held on 10 April 1929 during the 22nd New Zealand Parliament in the Northland electorate of Bay of Islands. The by-election came about because Harold Rushworth's win in the general election of the previous year was declared void. The seat was won again by Harold Rushworth of the Country Party.

1929 Bay of Islands by-election
10 April 1929 (1929-04-10)
Turnout8,331 (89.49%)
 
Candidate Harold Rushworth Allen Bell
Party Country Party Reform
Popular vote 4,385 3,911
Percentage 52.86% 47.14%
Member before election

Harold Rushworth
Country Party

 Elected Member

Harold Rushworth
Country Party

General election
1928 general election: Bay of Islands[1][2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Country Party Harold Rushworth 3,820 47.83
Reform Allen Bell 3,818 47.80 -8.44
Liberal–Labour Robert Hornblow 349 4.37 +0.72
Majority 2 0.03 -37.20
Informal votes 59 0.73 -0.26
Turnout 8,046 86.43 -3.58
Registered electors 9,309

Harold Rushworth was originally declared the winner of the general election.[1]

Cause of by-election

Supporters of Allen Bell filed a petition to the electoral court complaining of voting irregularities.[3] Bell, however, claimed that he would take no part in any attempts to upset the election, leaving it up to his supporters.[4] This petition was ultimately successful and it was announced by the court that a by-election should take place for the seat.[5]

Selection process

Both Rushworth and Bell decided to run again for the seat.[6]

The Labour Party refused to put up a candidate, believing that the two candidates who had tied with each other should compete in the by-election.[7]

Result

Rushworth won the by-election.[8][9]

This by-election clearly created much interest as the turnout was higher here than it was at the general election. Rushworth's improved showing can be put down to the fact that he got most of the votes that were previously cast for Hornblow.

1929 Bay of Islands by-election[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Country Party Harold Rushworth 4,385 52.86 +5.03
Reform Allen Bell 3,911 47.14 -0.66
Majority 474 5.71 +5.69
Informal votes 35 0.42 -0.31
Turnout 8,331 89.49 +3.06
Country Party gain from Reform Swing
Registered electors 9,309

References
  1. The General Election, 1928. Government Printer. 1929. p. 1. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  2. "Public Notices". Auckland Star. LIX (302). 21 December 1928. p. 5. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
  3. "Petition to be lodged". The Evening Post. CVI (145). 21 December 1928. p. 11. Retrieved 21 August 2011 – via Papers Past.
  4. "Bay of Islands seat". The Evening Post. 8 December 1928. p. 10. Retrieved 21 August 2011 – via Papers Past.
  5. "Election Upset". The Evening Post. CVII (24). 29 January 1929. p. 12. Retrieved 21 August 2011 – via Papers Past.
  6. "Bay of Island Seat - Two Nominees". The Evening Post. CVII (70). 26 March 1929. p. 10. Retrieved 21 August 2011 – via Papers Past.
  7. "The by-election - no Labour Candidate". The Evening Post. CVII (51). 5 March 1929. p. 11. Retrieved 21 August 2011 – via Papers Past.
  8. Scholefield, Guy (1950) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1949 (3rd ed.). Wellington: Govt. Printer. p. 136.
  9. "Bay of Islands Seat – Final Figures Announced". The Evening Post. CVII (91). 20 April 1929. p. 10. Retrieved 21 August 2011.


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