PARLIAMENTARY ROLLS

Evening Star, Issue 25742, 15 March 1946, Page 7

PARLIAMENTARY ROLLS

EXTRA WORK FOR REGISTRARS STAFF CAUSED BY DILATORY ELECTORS Since October 8, 1945, the Registrar of Electors for the four Dunediti electorates (Mr G. /A. Hislop) has caused to be sent to electors whose names appear on his rolls more than 55j000 notices inquiring if such electors were still residing at the addresses appearing on the notices. So far 35,007 electors nave replied stating that they have not changed their addresses, whilst 6.839 have given new addresses. Over 5.000 names have been removed from the rolls by registrar's objection because two notices to each person—one by registered mail—were returned to the registrar by the postal department as the electors could not be found at the addresses given on the notices. More than 8,000 electors have failed to return to the registrar the first inquiry notices posted' to them and these are causing extra work for members of the registrar's staff as each one is now being forwarded by registered mail a notice by the registrar ' objecting to the retention on the rolls of his or her name. The electors have the right to appeal against their names being removed from the roll and _ a form to enable this to be done is sent with each objection notice. ■ Every twenty electors who return their first notices promptly save one employee on the registrar's staff at least one hour of unnecessary labour in preparing, scheduling and mailing the registered notices. Eight thousand registered notices involves , the registrar's staff in more than 400 hours of work which would not have been necessary had the electors concerned returned the first inquiry notices. Mr Hislop points out that his staff has ample work to keep it fully employed without having to do the extra' work involved where electors fail to promptly return or reply to notices sent out from his office. Many electors consider that because tliey voted at an election held about two and a-half years ago, the registrar/ should assume they are' still residing at the addresses given on the Tolls, quite forgetting thai, as far as the registrar is concerned, they could have died or changed their addresses since the election was held. The registrar is testing the right of every elector to remain on the rolls, and, as has been stated, the electors can help the registrar and his staff considerably by replying promptly to any communications sent out from his office.

It is compulsory to enrol when qualified to do so, and it is also compulsory for electors to advise the registrar of changes in their addresses.