The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1893 RREINSTATEMENT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XIV, Issue 3147, 5 December 1893, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1893 RREINSTATEMENT.

Throughout the whole colony the polling last Tuesday was very heavy. In the past, thanks to duplications, dead men, absentees, men with property qualifications all over the place and their names on many rolls in consequence, it was difficult to round up to the poll more than half of the electors whose names appaarecl upon the roll. This state of things is changed now, and as the one-man-one-vote rule wipes out all the duplications and all the pluralisms of any and every kind, a far larger proportion of the names on the roll are genuine than used to be the case. Hence, the heavier polling that is, of men. The women virtually doubled the roll, and among them those who did not vote were far fewer in number than among their fellow electors of the other sex. But there were exceptions aU the same, and upon the Ashburton roll some thousand or so names have to be accounted for— mostly men. gome of them no doubt had no right to be on the roll at all, and by the new self-purging clause of the Act, the non-exercise of the vote rids the roll of these gentry. Others with a perfect right to vote were prevented by various causes, and these electors will doubtless desire to be reinstated. Considerable doubt and misapprehension appears to exist as to the striking off from the roll of the non-voters of Tuesday last, and as to how and when those struck off can obtain reinstatement so as to be able to vote at the licensing polls in March next. The law on the* subject is contained in tlie Electoral Act and the Alcoholic Liquors Sale Control Act of last session. The Returning Officer of each district bas forthwith to forward to the Registrar of Electors a certified joll showing those who, not being disqualified, failed to vote at the General Election, and the Registrar then expunges such names from the roll. The last quoted Act, however, provides that " nothing herein contained shall affect the right of any elector whose name shall tave been so expunged from at any time thereafter sending in a fresh claim for registration on such electoral roll." Those, therefore, who from any cause failed to vote on Tuesday last should, if they desire to regain the franchise and to have the right of voting at the March licensing elections, at once send in fresh claims for registration. They will then, if not objected to, be restored to electoral rights in a few days. Those who neglected to register before should now do so. The law appears defective in respect to the formation of the rolls under which the licensing elections will be held. There is no provision, apparently, as to the date before the election to which they are to be made up. In regard to a political election the issue of the writ closes the rcll, but no corresponding provision appears to have been made as to the date at which the roll shall be finally closed prior to a licensing election.