PURGING THE ROLLS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 17 September 1908, Page 1

PURGING THE ROLLS.

(From Our Special Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, Wednes. The Premier, replying to a question this afternoon in the House of Representatives, said there are no grounds for believing that we are drifting into the conditions that existed in 1893, when it was found necessary to purge the rolls by striking off the non-voter. The policy of the Electoral Act is to retain the electors on the roll, and the provision for removing non-voters therefrom was therefore modified uLder the Electoral Act of 1905 to the extent that instead of removing a non-voter from the roll hie qualification for remaining thereon is inquired into, and only those Vho are disqualified are expugned from the roll. Of the 79,816 electors who did not vote at the general elections in 1905. 50,428 were qualified to remain on the Tolls, and 29,388 who had lost their qualifications were removed therefrom. The rolls are still further purged by the electors themselves, who now, by means of the single enrolment form, must disclose previous enrolment when claiming in another district, and 20,490 electors have been purged from tbe rolls in this wav since the present main roll was printed. ■