Are You On The Roll?

Taupo Times, Volume II, Issue 80, 29 July 1953, Page 4

Are You On The Roll?

THERE is no doubt fhaf most of us would be highly indignant if told that we were to be prevented from voting af the forthcoming local body elections. No^matter how lit+le the interest we took in town affairs we would wax wrafhtul at any such infringement of our often unvalued right. In point of fact, nobody is iikely to prevent us from exercising our votes. Nobody, that is to say, except ourselves. In other words, the citizen's first step toward being able to vote is to make sure that his or her name is on the roll. The main electoral roll for the Taupo Town District, shortly to be-' corrie the Borough of Taupo, will close on July 31st, and all those qualified to have their names thereon would do well to make sure of so having them by inspecting the roll at the I own Board Office. Particularly is this so in the case of those guaiified by virtue of having purchased land in the Town District within the past twelve months. It is a common occurrence for would-be-voters on a rafepayer's or owner's qualification to find .that the required notice of their acquisition of land has not yef been sent to the Town Board, and that the usual notification from the Valuation Department has not yet arrived. I hose entitled to have their names placed on the local electoral roll must^be twenty-one years of age and must have one of the following -qualifications. (I) Freehold qualification, meaning the beneficial and duly registered ownership of land of a capital value not less than £25 situafed in the Town District. (2) Rating qualification which may be held by any person whose name appears in the valuation roll as the occupier of any rateable property within the Town District. (3) A residential qualification may be held by any British subject who has resided for one year in New Zealand and who has had permanent residence during the last three months in the Town District. With the likelihood that the next election in Taupo will be for a Mayor and Councillors, it is certaln there will be a greater poil than was the occaslon of an early efection in Taupo recalled recently by the first Returning Officer of the Taupo Road Board. As the infrequent voters entered the polling booth, the Returning Officer made a mental guess as to whom they were Iikely to vote for, and jotted his guesses down on a paper hidden under blotter. As the weary day wore on toward a total of twenty odd voters, he became certain that there would be a tie for last place on the new board. His guess proved correct, and in due course the official count confirmed the tie. Although the Returning Officer had notified the candidates of their right to appoint scrutineers, the two candidates mainly concerned had failed to do so. On his feminding one of them of this, he asked whether his opponent had done so. On being told that he had not, he repiied, Well, what do I want a scrutineer for ? You'll blank well do me to ! " The Returning Officer, a conscientous man, felt he would like some witness of his proceedings as he set about drawing one of the two candidates names out of a hat, in accordance with the sporting provislon of the Legislature for such emergencies. He accordingly cailed in the consfable and postmaster, placed the two names in the latter's hat, handed if to the constable to hold high up and then drew out one of the names and duly deciared the bearer to be elected. Both parties to the tie expressed their complefe satisfaction with the outcome of the Returning Officer's little lottery. As for you gentle reader, don't forget to see that your name is on the roll, and so make sure that on polling day your missing vote does not result in one of your selected candidates losina his chance of beinq last i i • i i ~7 man in.