A NATIONAL DUTY

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 7, 9 January 1925, Page 8

A NATIONAL DUTY

COMPULSORY ENROLMENT OF

ELECTORS

PREPARATIONS FOR NEXT

DECEMBER.

In the course of a few days houses holders will begin to receive through the post pamphlets impressing upon them the necessity for enrolling in readiness for the Parliamentary elections at the end of the year. This is the result of the' new legislation passed last session making it obligatory upon each person who is qualified to vote at Parliamentary elections to legister, whether his name is already on the roll or not. Whereas, under the' old law, no compulsion was brought to bear upon those possessing the necessary qualifications, it now becomes a national duty for individuals to personally ensure that their names are on the roll.

Arrangements have been made by the Post and Telegraph Department to assfst the Electoral Department in the work of compiling the new electoral rolls required under the recent amendment to the Legislature Apt. - The principal business to be undertaken for the .present will be the distribution to electors of pamphlets of instructions, enrolment cards, and envelopes, in which the cards are to be returned to electoral offices. At each of the four centres there will be a registrar of electors appointed to act for all the city electorates. Thus the Wellington,registrar will deal with enrolment applications from Wellington East, ' Wellington North, Wellington Central, Wellington South, and Wellington Suburbs. Previously there was a_ separate registrar for each electoral district. •. - . .- • .

While it is not obligatory on the part of the Electoral Depa|tment to do the enrolling, it is proposed that this means of dissemination of cards, etc., shall be undertaken as a basis for the inauguration of the system of compulsory registration. In order that no person may be overlooked, and as a protection against possiblel complaint, postmen will be instructed to ensure that pamphlets and cards' are delivered sufficient -for the adult -members of every house. Every person who is - twenty-one years of age and over is obliged- to fill in the enrolment card and forward it to the' registrar for the district in which lie resides,- b|fore .6th March, 1925. In localities where there is no postal delivery service the postmaster will hand to each adult caller at the office the advisory pamphlet and. enrolment cards, while rural boxholders.and.private bagholders will be supplied similarly Maoris are not to be given enrolment cards, but-half-castes who desire to be registered on the European electoral rolls will be furnished with the usual form , Supplies of pamphlets and cards are' not yet ready for • purposes of rirculation,_but as soon as they are turned out by the Government Printing Office the \york_ of- dissemination will commence. 'W,M i. c" P, ed that all households would be suppled by 21st January, but delay ,n printing will make that im-» LSI \ ' ElecfoM should recei™ th«r caids, however, very shortly. A further obligation'is that every person, after he has become registered is ta notify change of residence. -