ELECTORAL ROLLS

Hokitika Guardian, 11 March 1926, Page 4

ELECTORAL ROLLS

COMPI’LSORY PROVISION

WELLINGTON, March 8. To serve as a warning to electors

generally that they must obey the provisions of the law regarding compulsory enrolment, the Electoral Departiiicili recently prosecuted a husband and wife v. !.*:> were convicted and ordered to pay costs. Subsequently it was announced that the department intended to circularise all suspected defaulters, informing them of their liability to prosecution should they neglect fb register immediately after recep t of notice.

tome newspaper criticism has been levelled against the department for l::iviuinkon one case tn Court, while everybody else is to have n second Homer to comply with the law. The Kk’floral Department points out that in. tlie cases referred to, the police had certain information which enabled them to prosecute without the Tllectoral Department's officers sending notice to the persons concerned. The department's policy, it is stated, is if possible to secure registration without having to resort to prosecution, and it is regarded as only fair and reasonable that notice should he sent out in which the requirements of the law are made known. If the notice is ignored, the police then stop in, collect the required information as to whether the persons concerned should he enrolled. issue a warning, and prosecute subsequently if necessary. It lias been the custom of (Juvernmenis in Xew Zealand to employ an army of officers for purposes of enrolments at considerable expense. Tt is pointed out that to increase the ntimber of officers in proportion to the increase in population would involve greater expense, and that tn suddenly drop tills system without making it a duty for an elector to register, would lead in the year oi a general election to many hundreds of electors in each electorate being left off the rolls. I'Dr the general election in lf)2o the roils were compiled under the system <>l compulsory registration, and the re-

sult was unprecedented, over DO per cent. of registered voters exercising D'eir right as electors. Tt has been admitted by all parties that the rolls never have been so reliable and up to date on anv previous occasion.