CLEANING THE ROLLS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 70, 3 April 1922, Page 2

CLEANING THE ROLLS.

GENERAL ELECTION PRELIMINARY/, (By Telegraph.—Special to -Star.") WELLINGTON, this day. ' The Electoral Department, has commenced its preparations for the general election which takes piac-c next December. Its first, duty is to complete rolls in the new electoral area?, and it has iound this work easier than usual, as the changes made by the Representation. Commissioners were'well in line with the grouping of population. Protests, against the altered boundaries were not numerous, but the Commissioners have made some slight readjustments, which, will be reported to Parliament within ten days of the opening of the June session.

Within the next few weeks the Department, in co-operation with the Postal Department, will commence tv make enrolments in all constituencies and purge the old roll, it is intended to establish in the four chief centres electoral bureaux, where information can be obtained by electors in regard to all the surrounding constituencies and enrolments made.

Postmen will be the principal agents for purging and extending the rolls. They will check off the existing entries, and'make fresh enrolments where necessity arises. This will be done in most cases by the men on the usual rounds, but it is intended in a number of town* to set aside letter carriers for one special work of the Electoral Department.

As the Prime Minister approves of compulsory registration it is highly probable that this system will come into operation in New Zealand after next election. The experience of the Australian Commonwealth has been highlysatisfactory under the new system. Io is a breach of the law to fail to enrol, and it has been found that electors readily recognise their obligation, reminded as they are by la-ge posters detailing the procedure Where offences, have been committed the electoral officers have power to deal privately with them in minor cases and to impose nominal fines. There has been no necessity to refer to the Magistrate's Court to deal with this class of offence. Australian experience, which is at the disposal of the New Zealand electoral officers, goes to show that under compulsory enrolment the roils are always up to date and ready for an election. They are kept on card indexes, and this has been found an effective method lor quick comparison to prevent duplication of names or enrolment in more than one constituency. Enrolments are more numerous than when the elector had to be cajoled (as an Australian authority puts it) to get on the roll. There were 103,503 more electors enrolled for the last poll than could be placed on the lists under the system which Xew Zealand follows.