Eleven days for voters to enrol

Press, 14 July 1987, Page 8

Eleven days for voters to enrol

By

PETER LUKE

in Wellington The serious, the fringe and the downright bizarre have only 11 days left if they want their names to be on the voting papers on August 15. The Prime Minister, Mr Lange, said yesterday that the deadline for nominations in this year’s General Election would be noon on Saturday, July 25. If voters want to have their say on election day they must be on the electoral rolls by Wednesday, July 22. About 37,500 special votes could not be counted in * 1984 because the voters were not enrolled. At last count about 250,000 were not enrolled for this year’s election. Apart from having their votes disallowed, eligible electors face a $5O fine if they fail to

enrol. Would-be members of Parliament should remember their chequebooks when they are nominated — they must pay a $lOO deposit which is forfeit if they fail to get one-quarter as many votes as the successful candidate. In 1984 representatives of 25 “parties” contested the election, along with a number of independents. Among the more bizarre creations were McGillicuddy Serious, whose three candidates were not taken seriously in the Waikato seats, the Home Brewers’ United Front, and the Independent Howhow. In Sydenham the Economic Euthenics’ candidate gained 46 votes, and in Christchurch Central the Deputy Prime Minister was not troubled by the representative of the Wizard party.