GREATER WELLINGTON ROLL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1020, 9 January 1911, Page 4

THE NEW. ACT. The amendment to the Municipal Corporations Act passed last session affects the municipal franchise in an important degree. In view of the preparation of a now roll for Greater Wellington, a work that is now well forward, citizens should acquaint themselves with the qualifications which, under the latest amending Act entitle them to vote at municipal elections. The new municipal, franchise closely resembles the Parliamentary franchise. The form of application for enrolment will be amended so as to provide that a person is entitled to have his (or her) name entered on the municipal roll on attaining the age of twenty-ono years, provided he (or she) ha 9 resided for one year in New Zealand, and lias raided in the district to which the roll applies for three months preceding the application for registration. People permanently domiciled in Wellington, are not obliged, however, to have been actually residing here continually for the three months, preceding application. Since age and residence now qiia"*y for.- a vote, the lodger' problem has ranislied. The geneial roll has to be prepared and completed by February 15, instead of: March 5, as in the past. This means that' the main roll will be closed for printing purposes at a much earlier dabo than formerly, and all names put in subsequently, up to fourteen days prior to the election, will be included in a supplementary list. new application forms required by the Act will be available this week. A point to be noted by citizens is that a ratepayer parting with his property is not automatically placed: on the residential list. A fresh application should, in such cases, be made, on the residential qualification. A husband's property qualification entitles his wife also to' a vote, and vice versa, but here again separate application must be made by each resident entitled to enrolment. The roll now in preparation . has been' purged of some 8000 names that appeared last year. The names of all residential electors (not ratepayers) who failed to vote at the municipal elections of 1909 and IDIO have been removed. Any of these former electors who still remain in Wellington • will have to make a fresh application, before regaining the franchise. The present roll will contain only the names of those who exercised their votes at last election and of the new applicants for registration.