CLOSING TO-MORROW

Evening Star, Issue 25895, 12 September 1946, Page 6

CLOSING TO-MORROW

ELECTORAL ROLLS UNDER 3,000 NAMES SHORT The general rolls for the forthcoming election will close to-morrow afternoon, and thereafter supplementary rolls will be opened. It was explained by the registrar of (Mr G. A. Hislop) to-day, that all persons who failed to have their names placed on the general roll would still have an opportunity of enrolling on ! the supplementary roll, and thus have the right to vote at the election. The registrar’s staff is at present extremely busy dealing with hundreds of persons daily at the counter in addition to the large numbers of applications for enrolment which are being lodged at the various post offices for transmission to the registrar. This morning’s mail alone contained 500 applications. Indications to-day were that the general roll would close tomorrow with less than 3,000 persons still to be enrolled on the supplementary roll. In order to deal with the accumulation of work caused by the lastminute rush, the registrar’s staff is working overtime.

Mr Hislop stated that persons who had not yet attained the age of 21 years should not attempt to enrol at the moment, but should withhold their application until they had attained their majority. Likewise, persons who had not resided in an electorate for three months must also desist from making application until they had fulfilled that condition. Ex-servicemen and women should note that, provided they had. lived for a year or more in the Dominion before proceeding overseas, there was no necessity for them to complete their one year’s residence in the country now.before.being eligible for enrolment, their previous residence in New Zealand being counted for t}iis purpose. When filling in the enrolment forms electors should read carefully the directions printed on it, and provide all the details required. Many people rendered applications informal by drawing a line through various clauses in the declaration contained on the enrolment card. When this is done it can only be assumed by the registrar’s staff that they are not eligible tt> claim enrolment. . Signatures on these cards must be witnessed by a J.P., a postmaster, any person in the registrar’s staff, or by a registered elector of the same electorate for which the applicant is claiming enrolment, said Mr Hislop. The registrar’s office is open from 8 a.m, until 4 p.m.