1918 Taranaki by-election
New Zealand by-election
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The Taranaki by-election of 1918 was a by-election in the Taranaki electorate on the west coast of the North Island. It was held during the 19th New Zealand Parliament, on 10 October 1918. It was caused by the death of incumbent MP Henry Okey of the Reform Party and was won by Sydney George Smith, the son of previous Taranaki MP Edward Smith,[1] who stood as an independent Labour candidate. Smith supported the war effort unlike most Labour politicians, gaining him support of voters who likewise supported the war.[2]
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10 October 1918
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| Turnout | 74.19% | ||||||||||||
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Result
The following table gives the election results:
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent Labour | Sydney George Smith | 2,840 | 51.44 | ||
| Reform | John Connett | 2,680 | 48.55 | ||
| Majority | 160 | 2.89 | |||
| Turnout | 5,520 | 74.19 | â12.62 | ||
