IT PAYS TO ENROLL

Hokitika Guardian, 18 March 1926, Page 4

IT PAYS TO ENROLL

COMPULSORY LAW. A BY-ELECTION POINT. WELLINGTON.. March 13. The policy of compulsory enrolment of electors was recently the subject of a Press telegram from Auckland, which quoted the figures of four Auckland electorates to show that since the compulsory campaign of last year the rolls, had lost more electors through deaths or departures than they had gained uirough new enrolments. Ihe tendency of the quoted figures was to indicate that many persons who have qualified for enrolment since the general election have not enrolled.PUBLICITY THE PRINCIPAL WEAPON. Since the telegram, was published it has been pointed out that immediately nfter any general election a waning ol popular interest is to lie expected. .1 he question is how to combat this apathy. Two courses arc suggested—publicity and prosecution. In connection with the first, .Air 0. G. Hodgkins, Deputy Chief Electoral Ofi'ue. stated yester-

day that a course of advertising throughout New Zealand would shortly he initiated to impress the necessity of enrolling on qualified persons not yet enrolled, and to remind enrolled electors of their need to report any change I of address. Questioned as regards the second | point (prosecution), Air Hodgkins emphasised that there would ho no prosecution without previous warning. COAIPULSION FOR CONTUMACIOUS CASKS. He was asked whether tin elector who failed to vote at a by-election (the appioaehing Eden election, lor instance) would be automatically removed from the roll without his knowledge and whether for his unknown absence from the roll ho would be liable to prosecution without notice. Mr Hodgkins replied in the negative. He that said after a by-election the addresses of those who failed to vote would be communicated with. It they were traced, and if their enrolment was found to be correct, then that would he the end ol the matter (since the new law provides lor compulsory enrolment, not compulsory voting), lint if an elector were traced to some other electorate, and he tailed to enrol himself there alter earing been fully warned and advised, then lie would render himself liable to prosecution. “ABSENT VOTER” AVENUE' IS CLOSED. The interviewer asked: 11 If an elector of Eden did not vote at the general election of 1925. and il ho has

taken up his residence in another electoral district in which lie now resides, is lie entitled to vote at the Eden byelection as an absent voterV’ Air Hodgkins replied that lie is not so entitled, and that lie would not be so entitled even if he bad voted in Eden at the general election. In reply to further questions Air Hodgkins said that the principle of compulsory registration of electors, as far as the Department is concerned, is to throw the onus of registration on to the elector. “ There is no doubt,” lie added. “ that if the public realising their responsibilities under the compulsory provisioys of the Act, register, there will he a considerable saving in expense compared with the old system of employing canvassers to make a house-to-house visitation.”