12 2V£W SOUTH WALES. 



be entered on the electoral roll for the district; and must also, at the 

 time of tendering his vote, retain the qualifications in virtue of which 

 his right was issued to him." An elector's right is a certificate 

 issued in the form prescribed by the Act by the registrar of an 

 electoral district to a duly qualified person, entitling him to vote for 

 that district.'' These rights are required to be renewed at intervals 

 of three years, from the 81st December, 1890.° In the first instance 

 they were distributed by the police ; but for the future they can 

 only be obtained by personal application, although a right once 

 obtained may be renewed by written application, accompanied by a 

 statutory declaration in the prescribed form.'' A substituted certi- 

 ficate may also be issued on change of residence from one district to 

 another, or on the loss or defacement of the original right.*^ The 

 electoral roll is the official register of persons j^r/^ia/oc/e entitled to vote 

 at parliamentary elections for the district. For registration purposes 

 each district is, where necessary, subdivided into divisions. "^ The 

 Act also provides for the periodical publication and revision of a 

 general and a supplementary list of voters for each division ; these 

 divisional rolls when printed together constitute the electoral roll for 

 the district.^ The more important qualifications necessary to entitle 

 a person to receive an elector's right and to be entered on the elec- 

 toral roll are as follows : — The applicant must be a British subject, 

 of the male sex, of the age of twenty-one years, and absolutely free ; 

 he must have had his principal place of abode in New South Wales 

 for a continuous period of one year,'' and in the electoral district 

 for a continuous period of three months prior to the date of his 

 application.' There are also certain disqualifications set up by the 

 Act, such as service in the regular naval or military forces or con- 

 stabulary, unsoundness of mind, and conviction for certain offences.'' 



The Method of Holding Elections. 



On the occasion of a general election the polling throughout the 

 Colony takes place on the same day.*" Every candidate must be 

 nominated by at least six registered electors for the district, the nomina- 

 tion paper being in the form prescribed by the Act.' No money 

 deposit is now required from candidates. The method of voting is by 

 ballot. For this purpose every elector after exhibiting his right, and 

 having had his name checked on the roll, receives a voting-paper 

 containing the names of the candidates, and punctured and initialed 

 by the presiding officer. The elector then retires to a compartment, 

 and strikes out the names of all candidates, except that candidate for 

 whom he wishes to vote. The ballot-paper is then folded up and 

 delivered to the presiding ofiicer, and deposited by him in the ballot- 



a Electoral Act, 189.3, sec. 24. 



^ Jb., Schedule. He may, however, lose the riglit to vote bj' subsequent disquali- 

 fication. 



" lb., sec. 40. <' lb., sec. 40. ^ Jb., sees. .38, 39. ' lb., sec. 33. 



s lb., sees. 41 to 52. The general roll must be issued on or before the 20th December ; 

 the supplementary roll on or before the 20tli May. 



•' Or, if naturalized, then one year from the date of naturalization. 



' Electoral Act, 1893, sec. 23. 



^ lb., sec. 23. The accrual of any disqualification subsequent to tlie issue of the 

 elector's right will render the latter nugatory ; sec. 24. 



" lb., sec. 58. ' lb., sec. 65. 



