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Press, 4 May 1984, Page 2

Between 80 and 94 per cent of electors in Canterbury electorates have responded to the roll revision programme being conducted by the Post Office.

The roll revision will close on May 11 and the new electoral rolls will be published on July 2. Those who have not responded to the roll revision will not be included in the new rolls. They will still be able to enrol for this year’s General Election, but they will have to make a special trip to the Post Office to fill in a form to get back on the rolls. The Post Office hopes that most electors will reply to the roll revision by the closing date of May 11, because that is the simplest way both for electors and for the Post Office. The roll revision programme will cost about $2 million.

The registrar of electors for Christchurch Central, Mr Theo Bunker, who is the co-ordinator for rolls in the city area and for the Ashburton, Rangiora and Selwyn seats, said roll revision forms were sent to all electors listed in existing rolls in March. Electors were asked to make any necessary corrections on the card, sign it and return it to the Post Office. Reminder cards were sent out in April to all those who had not responded.

Even if all the details on the card were correct, electors had to return it to the Post Office in order to stay, on the roll.

Mr Bunker said the purpose of the roll revision was’ to pick up electors who had moved house since the last election and new voters. Those who had turned 18 since the last election had to get an enrolment form from the Post Office. The new rolls would be based on the new electoral boundaries, so the revision process was an ideal way of letting electors know which seat they were in.