ELECTORAL ROLLS

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 87, 9 October 1935, Page 9

ELECTORAL ROLLS

UEaiSTERINa NAMES

PROGRESS OF WORK

STATEMENT BY MR. FORBES

A statement regarding the working of the compulsory registration provisions of the Electoral Act and the cleansing of the rolls for the coming General Election was made in the House of Representatives last night by the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes). "The provisions of the Electoral Act provide that registration as an elector and notification of change of address are compulsory, and for failure to register and notify change of address there is a provision. for imposing a penalty," said Mr. Forbes. "Since the introduction of compulsory registration, in 1924 there have been numerous prosecutions up ,to 1931, but since then there have been no prosecutions. Prosecutions are only instituted when it is deliberately shown that qualified persons for registration are failing in their duty /to- comply with the law. It is difficult to trace such persons unless the. names are submitted by persons having knowledge of the facts. "It was stated in the House recently that the compulsory provisions of the Electoral Act were a dead letter, and to show that there was no justification for this statement, the following figures for the Dominion are supplied:— New applications for registra- ■ tion- since November, 1931, '- ■ and up to August, 1935 .. 87,567 Transfers from the rolls, re- ■ movals by death, etc 91,294 Changes of address within - the various electoral districts 49,112 x "These figures, in my opinion, speak in contradiction of the statement that the electors, are not complying with the compulsory registration provisions cf.the Act. CLEANSING THE ROLLS. "Regarding the cleansing of the rolls, the Departtiient lias followed' the propedure adopted in' 1928 and 1931, wheti it; was ,: generally recognised on those occasions'that the'electoral rolls were ' represetitative .of the persons entitled to' Vvote." The' procedure was -as follows:—Registrars sent to all' electors, \vith the exception of those whom they acknowledged were still residing at the address shown on the rolls, a notice . requesting them to verify. their resi- ■ denqes and if a change had been made, to show on the form the new residential address. In many instances notices were returned by the elector.s\ verifying their addresses, • and this fact was noted on the roll. In the case of those . electors to whom the Post Office could not deliver the notice, an' objection notice was posted by registered post,' and on return of this through the Post Office marked 'Address not known,' the registrars took steps to remove the names from the rolls. "The following .figures indicate the activities in the various electoral districts:— ■■'.- Number of inquiry notices posted 753,496 Number of inquiries unclaimed 155,438 Number of inquiries acknowledged by electors ...... I. 375,296 Number of removals by objection, etc. , 161,783 Number .of new applications since 1931 and up to the ' '. ' vt ::\ '■■ end of July, 1935 ......'.'.' 189,277 U.umber ..of .electors on the • <-. -j general rolls (76 electorates) .739,397 ' NumbeY of new registrations ■ . . on; the-supplementary-rolls 93,031 ' Removals:" by transfer ..and . „ . death 16,842 Changes of address within the various electoral districts .. 6,921 Total number of electors on rolls up to September 30 . 815,586 "Reports coming to.- hand, since September. 30 indicate that .the .enrolling is proceeding satisfactorily."