PURGING THE ROLLS

Gisborne Times, Volume L, Issue 5072, 15 January 1919, Page 5

PURGING THE ROLLS

. * ■- -- THE LICENSING POLL.

WARNING TO ELECTORS.

CHANGES OF ADDRESS

iririlK’U”?® arc being made in vorwinch is to be taken on 10th April next qUa On rS f ° r - the lieensin S Poll next. • One very important matter ' ponceims a large number of el--7 S'+lm T ’ tlle . new . provision (Section laf* .Licensing Amendment Act of last session) in regard to a change 0 f residential address within an electoraj;e-, .Under the Legislature Act an elector can have liis name retained on the roll even if he changes his address within th e electorate but in the case of the prospective licensing poll a change qf address can be a ground ot objection to tbe retaining of-a name on the roll. Section 7of the licensing Amendment Act states: (1) It shall be a ground of objection to any name on a roll or a supplementary roll that the elector does not reside at tbe place stated on,such roll or supplementary roll as the address of such eletitor. v(2) If the Registrar lias reasonable grounds for believing that 6uch ground of objection exists in any case,, it shall be the duty of the Registrar to object to the retention of such name oh the roll in the manner provided by sub-section 3 of Section 15 of the Legislature Amendment Act, 1910, and to act. in respect thereof in the manner directed by that subsection.' ’

(3) The notice in writing required to be given to tlie elector may be given by registered letter addressed to such elector at the address appearing on the electoral roll o.r supplementary roll. (4) If the elector within the time

liimted-inthe notice satisfies the Registrar, or (having given due notice of appeal) satisfies the Magistrate, that he is still resident in the electoral district, or is entitled to have, his name retained on the roll under the provisions of Section 44 of the Legislature Act, 1908, lias name shall not be removed from the roll.

If a change of address within an elctorate is not detected, and does not form the ground of objection before the roll closes, the person concerned will be able to vote, in accordance with the Legislature Act, but electors within the district are advised to announce the change promptly to the Registrar. A fresh claim for enrolment is not necessary (unless of course the elector has actually been struck off the roll). There is a special form, which' may be obtained from all Registrars, but a letter stating the new address will he accepted.

MISTAKES IN CLAIMS. Generally a person qualified to vote should make, sure whether lie is on or off a roll before he makes any fresh claim for enrolment. Usually there is much duplication, due to the activities of canvassers-, and this may waste valuable time in a Registrar’s office during a rush before the closing of a roll. Very often the witness to a claimant’s signature is not an elector of the district (nor otherwise authorised to sign), and thus the claim is informal. In the case of a person able to write a signature th e witness mulst be the Registrar, or the Deputy-Regis-trar, or an authorised: agent of the Registrar, or a justice, or a postmaster, or an elector of the district. If the claimant capnot write,- lie may sign by making his mark in the presenct of a Justice of the Peace, or a postmaster, or the Registrar, or a person authorised by the Registrar. An ordinary elector of the district is not eligible to -witness such a marking. Other grounds for the rejection of claims recently are:— ■Failure to give the name in full on the top lines' of tlie form. Some persons wtih .two Christian names may write the first one in full, and only an initial for the second. ■ Thus the claim becomes informal. The name must he clearly legible. Illegibility of witness’s signature. Failure to state full address. . Failure to state the period of residence (immediately preceding the application) in the district. This is a common omission.

A common slip is in answering “Yes” to each of the following questions : —“Are you a British subject by birth?” “Are you a British subject by naturalisation? in New Zealand?” Some persons seem to have a notion of making assurance doubly sure by the double yes —and thus they make their claims informal. b Many of the claimants who desire a transfer from one electorate to another ape careless in. answering some questions on the form. Some omit to mention the electorate from which they want a transfer, and others may not state the full address which they had on the roll"of that district. It is necessary in such cases to give the coinplete -street'-.address.,; for one city street may be in several electorates. . Many persons- seem to think that if they are on a municipal roll they are thus eligible to vote at licensing polls or general -elections . i >h e number of otherwise s ane individuals who imagine that municipal and parliamentary rolls are the samp is amazing,” states an electoral officer. Men claimants are obliged to state their occupation, but under this heading women are required to write .only spinster, married, or widow, as the case may be. _' . . . When' mistakes or omissions make claims informal the Registrars send notice immediately to the persons concerned. ;. . . As a help in; making- the roll as complete as possible, one Registrar lias decided to s how at each post office in the district a list of the electoral numbers of persons struck off the roll.