ELECTORAL CARDS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 21 January 1925, Page 8

ELECTORAL CARDS.

MISTAKES TO AVOID, A number of pitfalls for the unwarv have been discovered in the electoral enrolment forms. Wherever an error is found the enrolment card becomes informal, and tlie elector has to send in another application, lo assist the public in supplying full and correct information. the following valuable hints if followed, should simplify the matter. The first point to remember is that registration is compulsory. It has nothjng to do with “voting,” participation in voting lieing a matter for the individual.'" The information sought by the Registrar of Electors must, however, be given under pain of penalties for failure to do so. The application form should be read from beginning to end, before an elector starts to fill it up. Jn several places certain words must lie struck out. For example, if the sentence, “I am a British, subject by birth” is correct, then the elector must strike out the alternative, “I am a British, subject by naturalisation in New. Zealand.” And the witness to the elector’s signature ought, to strike out the qualifications which, do not apply to him. At the top of the card are the words “Electoral District of- Apparently ouite a number of people are unaware of the name of the electoral district in which thev reside. Tt is important. therefore, to ascertain the name of one’s electoral district and for those in difficulty it may be mentioned that as postmasters are authorised to witness electors’ signatures on their cards, people who are in .doubt about any point may possibly get their difficulties solved in, the post office. A WORD ABOUT WITNESSES.

There is also some trouble over the classes of persons entitled to witness an elector’s signature. Among those who may do so are “electors of the district,” but this must be taken to mean a person who is already an elector of the district, i.e., whose name appears on the 1923 roll for the same district as that in which the person filling up the form is residing. To facilitate matters in a household Where all the voters are new. to the particular district in which they reside, it may be convenient, particularly for the ladies to know how the difficulty of getting a qualified witness may bo easily overcome. If the head of the household sends in bis application form correctly filled up and properly witnessed by a Justice or postmaster, or other qualified person, he will in the course of ten or fourteen days receive an acknowledgment from the Registrar of Electors. The receipt of this acknowledgment will then entitle him to witness his wife’s signature or the signature of any othfer applicant in his own district. “SPINSTER MARRIED OR

WIDOW. difficulty is the line where applicants are to. fill in their occupation. The instructions appear to be a little obscure on the point, for “female electors are to state ‘spinster,’ married,’ or ‘widows.’ ” Naturally, women are not inclined to consider any of these “states” a profession, and the result is that they add “household duties” or “school teacher.” This, however, is unnecessary. Women need only state whether they are spinsters, married or widows; the professors of male electors, however, must, of course, be given. Still another pitfall appears to be in the request for ‘‘signature of applicant.” Some people are contenting themselves with nothing biit initials, such as “F.H.R.” or “J.J.” Initials for the Christian names are quite correst, if the ordinary signature is in that form, but no signature is Considered complete without tlie full surname, “J. Jones,” and so on. It will be seen that the difficulties encountered by the electors are really not very great, but the fact that many persons are. making mistakes is going tci entail considerable trouble for themselves and for the Electoral Department. The Post Office, which is distributing the cards to each household, will have completed its task by January 21, after which date any person who has not. received ah application form should obtain one from the nearest post office, or from the Registrar of Electors. All cards should he filled up and returned promptly. No postage should be affixed to the envelopes.