PREPARING THE ROLLS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8739, 22 May 1914, Page 3

PREPARING THE ROLLS

ADVICE TO ELECTORS SHOULD ENROL THEMSELVES WITHOUT DELAY. CONFUSION CLEARED UP. There is every indication that the elections in December nest will be hotIv fought, and, in the heat of the battle which has already commenced, the electors are likely to forget that most important matter for themselves—to see that their names are on the rolls of their electorates. The elections' arc some sis months ahead, but such is the interest in politics that people arc already busying themselves in connection with the rolls. A “Times” representative, on inquiring at the various offices of the registrars of electors in Wellington yesterday, learned that applications for enrolment- aro- coming iu rapidly. Ono registrar was receiving thirty and forty applications each day, and others from fifteen to thirty. Another sign of early interest in the contests is that canvassers are already out actively campaigning in order that ©very person eligible may be enrolled. There appears to bo a great deal of confusion in the minds of many electors regarding enrolment. At Dunedin the other day the Minister in charge of the department (Hon, F. M. B. Fisher) mad© tho following statement in an interview:—“A reform will be brought about this year which will take the place of the older method of compiling the rolls by means of temporary canvassers. By arrangement with the Postal and Police Departments the enrolling and the checking of enrolment forms will ho carried out by letter-carriers and members of the police force, and they will be paid by the Electoral Department for services so rendered. By these means it is hoped that, through the letter-carrier system, every householder whose name appears on tho roll, or who wishes to he enrolled, will bo carefully checked by the Electoral Department; and, in certain cases, should doubts be entertained as to the validity or genuineness of any enrolment forms', the Postal Department will be able to afford a complete check. The services of the members of the police force will be used mostly in the outlying districts. It is hoped by these means to secure a better roll than has been tho case in the past, at very considerably reduced cost.” A WRONG IMPRESSION. Some people gathered the impression from the above statement that it would not be necessary to enrol themselves. Many are thinking that the police will visit each house and do the enrolling, or ' that the postmen will carry out the work. This, of course, is entirely erroneous, and is not the purport of Mr Fisher’s statement.

“Tho hew system of compilation and chocking,” said the Chief Electoral Officer (Mr James Hislop) to a “Times’ reporter ye“ + <>rday, “does not mean that people cannot enrol themselvesEnrolment is going on under the old system just as freely now as ever before. Electors who wish to enrol, or to make sure that their names are included, can apply to the registrar of electors for the electorate in which they reside. If they are not enrolled, they will be given application-lorms to fill jn, and if the applications are in order, the names will go on the roll just as before.”

Tho Electoral Department has just completed , the issue of supplementary rolls for the whole of the Dominion, which arc right up to date as on March 31st. These rolls contain a list of persons who, either through removal, decease, transfer, or other cause, have been removed from the foils since last election. The same rolls set out the names of all those persons who havo been enrolled since tho election. HOW TO GO ABOUT IT.

It will be seen, then, that the electors in and about Wellington can ascertain, by applying to their registrar, whether their names are on the roll. If not, enrolment should bo made at once. “Wo don’t want them coming all of a heap,’’ said one registrar yesterday, “for that always ends in muddle. I am quite 'prepared to enrol electors now, and tho sooner they do it the better.” Those who failed to exercise their votes three years ago, however, should make a mental note of the fact that their names will no longer he on 'the rolls, and that it is incumbent, on them to enrol forthwith. The qualifications of an elector should he well known. Every claimant must be a British subject by birth or naturalisation, must not be less than t'vcnty-one years of age when making the claim, must havo boon a resident of New Zealand for twelve months, and of tho district in which he claims registration for three months; or, if enrolled in another electorate, one month’s residence immediately prior to application, qualifies for enrolment. In the case of a change of address within the - electorate it is not necessary to make fresh claim for enrolment, but the registrar should be advised of the change.