MUCH TO DO BEFORE THE ELECTIONS

Chronicle (Levin), 29 April 1946, Page 2

MUCH TO DO BEFORE THE ELECTIONS

;*»• » * i —Press Association

HOW BOUNDARY CHANGES £S AFFECT ROLLS

By Telegraph-

WELLINGTON, April 28. Tlie Eepresentation Cojmiijfsion will rcasscmble in Wellington on' May 15 to consider objeetions to tlie provisional electoi'ai, bounjarios recently, lixed by tlie Comiiiissioii.- Wrilten objec-lions to tlie new bouitdaries "wiil- be' received' up to noon on May G at tlie office of tlie »Sur veyor-U cneral, Mr. R. Q. ,Diek, eliairuian of tlie Coniniis&icnq wlio-c will soiq tliem into tlieir- relative .eatcgoriesdh. re.adincss for tlie mecting of Ihe ful'l Coijimission. tlve. following week. Asked this evening if the Commission would travel to oi her parts- of the Do minion in its coiisid'erati'ou" of tlie bbjee tions, Mr. Diek said he did not anliej.patc that would. be. necessary. . However, it was for meinbers '-of the (Jomiiiission to deeide" wliethef " they "ebnsidered it advisable to travel to unalyse auy objeetions/ "Most of the objeetions so far ro ceived, are to the iiamcs given to some of the elcetbrates," said Mr. Diclc. "That does not neeessitate auy travelling. However, tliei'e is still over a:i otlier week for the rdceipt of objeclions." New Parliaiuenlary rolls will have to be prepared for all electorates as ihe result of Ihe cxlcnsive ■ lioundary changcs made by tlie Comiiiission, bu! very little progrcss can be made with this formidable tusk lill tlie (.'omniission has made its linal deteruiination wliich lieeoines absoluLo with force of law. In the nieantime, Registrars of Eleetors and their stafl's are Imsy linishing tlie work of purging cxisling rolls so tliey will have cleun rolls to work from when they begiii tlie c'onipilation of rolls for thc new electorates. Once the new boundaries have been linally deler mined, ulT clectors airected by the changcs, including alterations to the naine of an electorate, will be sent a card oflicially notifying tliem oi' Ihe electorate iu which they are located and Ihe roll on which their name has been placed.

No decision yel has been made whe tlier tliere are to be special .iiconsitig rolls for voters in no licenso districts or whether the names of sucli electors will bo indicated on the ordiuary Parliamentary rolls uuder last year's Electoral Amnmlme.nl. Tho Aet, wliich abotished tho eountrv quoin, ]>rovided for electorates each with an equal number of adult population, but the boundaries of no lieeuse districts wore not to lm altered. The legislatitm also provided for special rolls for voters on the local option issnes or the use of ordiuary rolls with the names of thc voters concerned, indicated in a walmer to be preseribed by regnhition." In some • cases the no lieeuse district mav now includo paris of several electorates. For cxamplc, Ihe Mataura electoral district has eomplctely disappeared, having been merged in otlior Houthland electorates, but i! still continues to exist as the Mataura no lieensc district. Once objeetions against thc provision al boundaries have been dealt with and tlie Commission 's fuidings have been proclaimed, it can be expected that botli the Labour and Natiohal Parties will go ahcad in earnest with preparations for tlie General Election. Already several sitting niembevs of the National Party have indicated seats for which they will submit tlieir names for selection as eandidates. With the altered boundaries it will be necessary to elect new executives for, all electorates. The selection of National Party eandidates is made by a meeting of delegates representing the party inenibersliip in - tlie electorate concerned.