THE ELECTORAL ROLLS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22718, 2 November 1935, Page 12

THE ELECTORAL ROLLS

Upon the issue on Monday evening of the writ for the general election, the electoral rolls will be closed and those who, being qualified, have failed to enrol themselves as electors will have committed a breach of the law punishable by a heavy fine. It may seem to some apathetic persons an unreasonable thing that the State should demand their enrolment as electors, whether they desire to vote, or! not. But a somewhat extraordinary state of mind is revealed in any responsible person in a democratic country who is so unconcerned about its government —a matter that vitally affects him —as to neglect to assert his privilege as a citizen by enrolling and, on the appointed day, recording his vote. In some parts of the British Commonwealth not only is enrolment compulsory, but voting is also compulsory, and the suggestion has more than once been made that compulsory voting, as well as compulsory registration, should be required in New Zealand. Whether a person should be forced to vote against his will and whether the vote of a person who objects to voting merits the consideration that would be given to it in the counting of the ballot papers is, however, highly questionable. * There is only one effective way in which the individual can express his satisfaction with the-Government or his desire for .a change : in , the administration of. the Dominion, and that is through the ballot. The elector who is disgruntled, or has some pet theory or prejudice to nurse, is usually careful to record his vote. On the other hand, many people who are satisfied with the existing regime are inclined to be apathetic, forgetting that their omission to vote is of value only to the opponents of the Administration of which they approve. The necessity for enrolment, however/ is apart from the moral duty upon every elector to go to the'polls. It is, as we have said, a statutory obligation, which can be disregarded only at the risk of a penalty. Those qualified to vote who have so far neglected to see that their names have been placed on the roll have now only this morning and Monday in which both to claim their electoral privilege and to.protect themselves against the risk of prosecution.