1929 Bay of Islands by-election

1929 Bay of Islands by-election
Turnout	8,331 (89.49%)
Member before election; Harold Rushworth ; Country Party	Elected Member; Harold Rushworth ; Country Party

Last updated April 17, 2024

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.

General election

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

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

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

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References

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

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[1928_election-1] 1 2 The General Election, 1928. Government Printer. 1929. p. 1. Retrieved 4 December 2013.

[1928_election_petition-2] "Public Notices". Auckland Star . Vol. LIX, no. 302. 21 December 1928. p. 5. Retrieved 8 November 2014.

[3] "Petition to be lodged". The Evening Post . Vol. CVI, no. 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 . Vol. CVII, no. 24. 29 January 1929. p. 12. Retrieved 21 August 2011– via Papers Past.

[6] "Bay of Island Seat - Two Nominees". The Evening Post . Vol. CVII, no. 70. 26 March 1929. p. 10. Retrieved 21 August 2011– via Papers Past.

[7] "The by-election - no Labour Candidate". The Evening Post . Vol. CVII, no. 51. 5 March 1929. p. 11. Retrieved 21 August 2011– via Papers Past.

[Scholefield_1950-8] Scholefield, Guy (1950) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1949 (3rd ed.). Wellington: Govt. Printer. p. 136.

[1929_by-election-9] 1 2 "Bay of Islands Seat – Final Figures Announced". The Evening Post . Vol. CVII, no. 91. 20 April 1929. p. 10. Retrieved 21 August 2011.

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v t e « (1891–1911) « By-elections in New Zealand in the multi-party era (1912–1938) » (1939–1995) »
18th Parliament	1912 Egmont 1913 Grey 1913 Lyttelton
19th Parliament	1915 Dunedin Central 1915 Bay of Islands 1915 Taumarunui 1916 Pahiatua 1917 Hawkes Bay 1917 Bay of Islands 1917 Grey 1918 Wellington North 1918 Southern Maori 1918 Grey 1918 Wellington Central 1918 Taranaki 1918 Palmerston 1918 Wellington South
20th Parliament	1920 Bruce 1920 Stratford 1920 Bay of Plenty 1912 Patea 1921 Auckland East 1922 Southern Maori 1922 Dunedin North
21st Parliament	1923 Tauranga 1923 Oamaru 1925 Franklin
22nd Parliament	1926 Eden 1927 Raglan
23rd Parliament	1929 Bay of Islands 1929 Hutt 1930 Parnell 1930 Invercargill 1930 Waipawa 1930 Western Maori 1931 Hauraki
24th Parliament	1932 Southern Maori 1932 Motueka 1933 Lyttelton 1933 Buller 1935 Lyttelton
25th Parliament	1936 Manukau