Electoral cards mix-up

Press, 14 June 1978, Page 6

Electoral cards mix-up

Christchurch voters are in confusion since many received their electoral acknowledgement cards in the last few weeks.

The cards have placed Auckland as a suburb of Christchurch in the Sydenham electorate; they have been addressed to spouses and parents who died more than a year ago; and to persons who moved house six years ago.

One young woman received two cards. The only difference between the two was that one had her Christian names reversed. Other cards have been addressed to the right street, but the wrong suburb, and many voters simply do not know which electorate they are in.

Christchurch electoral officers have blamed a computer in Lower Hutt for turning out the faulty cards. A check with Mr J. L. Wright, the Chief Electoral Officer, however, confirmed that the computer had been iprogrammed correctly. I The computer is part of a I centralising of the electoral system, and has been work’ I ing through the rolls since January.

The electoral confusion seems confined to Christ-

church. Mr Wright said that “everything is rather quiet” in Wellington. Voters who do not know which electorate they are in should first check with a map at their local post office. If they do not receive a card within the next few weeks, informing them that they have been entered on the electoral roll, they should register at their nearest post office as a voter. Those who receive cards for persons who have died or who have moved house should send these cards back, with this information, to their nearest post office, or to the electoral office at Lower Hutt.

The electoral officer for Christchurch Central (Mr J. M. Kinraid) said there was no point “getting upright” over a faulty card; one woman had come into his office and had torn the card up.

“Under no circumstance should the cards be destroyed,” he said.

The new electoral boundaries come into force when Parliament is dissolved and a General Election is called. If there is a by-election before then, the old boundaries will still apply.