WOMEN VOTERS

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 122, 19 November 1931, Page 14

WOMEN VOTERS

DISFRANCHISEMENT POINT

A telegram has been sent to the Prime Minister by Mr. W. Parry, Labour member in the last Parliament for Auckland Central, urging that action be taken to remove tho threat of disi'ranchisement from women through their failure to state in their registration applications whether they are spinsters, married, or widows. The point was referred to-day to the Chief Electoral Officer, who stated that the law requires women electors to be clearly specified in the application forms under the classifications because of the possibility of confusion arising. He made it clear, however, that, there .need be no fear of disfranchisement if the applicant is able to convince the

returning officer of her right to vote. "The fact that a female elector who is described on the roll as following 'domestic duties' as her occupation, or that her occupation is incorrectly described," ho said, "does not disfranchise her from voting on election day so long as she is in a position to satisfy the polling officer that she is registered on tho roll. If a female elector has changed her name by marriage, that is not ground for disfranchisement; she may vote under her former name if she satisfies the polling officer that she is the person referred to on the roll."