ELECTORAL ROLL

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30192, 25 July 1963, Page 10

ELECTORAL ROLL

18,000 Still To Apply About 18.000 of the 136.000 eligible persons in Christchurch have not yet enrolled as electors for the coining General Election. They have until the first or second week of next month to do so—the date has still to be set by an Order-in-Council. After April 1 this year everyone was required to reenrol or enrol, and for those who did not receive the application form by post many were still available in all post offices, the Registrar of Electors in Christchurch (Mr J. Miller) said yesterday. Forms were white for Europeans and green for Maoris. In the past there had been considerable confusion among Islanders and Maoris aa to what category they should enrol under, Mr Miller said. Persons of more than half Maori blood had to enrol as Maoris: those with exactly half Maori blood could choose whether they enrolled as Maoris or Europeans. This choice could be exercised for General Elections, but once made could not be altered for by-elections, said Mr Miller. Persona from the Niue and Tokelau Islands could enrol as Europeans after they had been in New Zealand for 12 months. Citizens of Western Samoa were aliens in New Zealand and only those with British nationality could enrol as electors, but under Samoan Law they automatically lost Samoan citizenship if they did so, Mr Miller laid.

Pacific Islanders who were qualified to enrol for New Zealand elections could do 80 only as Europeans.