ELIDIBLE TO VOTE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 180, 1 August 1935, Page 10

ELIDIBLE TO VOTE.

TOTAL ABOUT 880,000. WOMEN'S NUMBERS INCREASE. MAJORITY IN SOME AREAS. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, this day. The main electoral rolls for the 70 European constituencies have closed, but all New Zealanders over the age of 21 whose names are not included may make certain of their right to vote by registering for inclusion in the supplementary rolls, now in course of compilation. Registration is obligatory, and failure to do so makes the apathetic liable to a penalty.

With a total population exceeding one and a half millions, it seemed probable that the coming general elections would see an aggregation ofi electors totalling a million, but close examination of official figures suggests that although there will be sreat activity.in getting on the rolls during the next few months, this figure will°not be reached. It is four years since there was an election, and in 1931 the total .voting strength in the European electorates was 876,731. The Chief Eloctoral Officer's computation of the registered voters on May 30 last showed a total of 880,481, a very small advance on the previous figures. Durin<>- the interval 'between elections there Jufve been 128,473 additional registrations, but against this can ibe placed removals by death, transfer and other causes', totalling 124,723. There is a good deal of moving aibout on the part of New Zealanders, for in the four years over 71,000 changes of address were recorded by electoral officers. The woman voter is becoming almost as important numerically as the male. For many years women have been in the majority on the electoral rolls of a number of densely-populated areas, particularly in the South Island. In the 1931 general election the proportion of votes "cast was 84.51 /by men and 81.99 by women. The latest official indications of proportions of l the sexes among prospective voters in the Dominion are given in the totals of population over 21, excluding Maoris:— jrales — 477,833 Females „..-_►. 462,161 . Total .- 940,110 The final figure represents the absolute maximum wliich could be: reached t>y the aggregate of the country's electoral rolls.