PAY BEFORE YOU VOTE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 15366, 10 November 1920, Page 5

PAY BEFORE YOU VOTE.

new Provision in counties act. Tho now Counlies Act which recently law makes provision . for all ratepayers "being financial" before voting. .Under the old Act a person had only to be a ratepayer (whether he paid or not) to secure a vote, bufr-lpeginning from uc^t year no ratepayer will .^e permitted to" ivotoi at any oounty election if 'his rates are unpaid and have been unpaid for a period . not less than six months before the election; '. . * v> .. , ' . ii'For a .general election the provision seems'-tpjiposaess great merit,; but for byelecfcions :it, \yill'-give<ka . great deal of. work ;to tho office- "staff. MTlfe' law : prbvides that 1Q days before the' election a -list of "unfinancial" ratepayer* . will -;bo : linnded • to itlio robnrnfng- ; offlcer-.and:thatf ftp shall, not. permit nnybody to vote' whose hamc/ap-: pears on, tho. list. In. tho case of- » ;i byelection,, occurring.' six i or -seven months after ( :the general .election a great deal of work 'will require to bo done to comply with the law.- i ... ' • '„-•• Tho. effect of the provision,- however, should be- Beneficial to the finances of local "bodies, especially where there is a possibility ■of a ■keen . election.^ ■