Pacer Plus consultants

Who is entitled to be registered on the electoral roll? The answers were rather surprising when the Herald asked members of the Electoral Commission whether the electoral rolls were up date in case the Prime Minister calls an early election.
The official answer is yes the electoral roll is up to date but the official line is they do not encourage speculation and point out that the general elections are not due to be called until September 2010.
So who is eligible to become a registered elector? All Cook Islanders who are 18 years or over and have lived in their electorate for a minimum qualifying period of 3 months and have formally registered as electors in that constituency are eligible. In addition, they need to have lived in the Cook Islands for a continuous period of 12 months in their life.
However, it is not just for locals but also to New Zealand citizens who can satisfy the same residency requirements as local Cook Islanders.
There are some misconceptions even amongst our authorities with one official telling me that expatriates can vote so long as they are British subjects who have lived in the Cook Islands for 12 months or more.
Not so, said another official who said all persons, whether local or expatriate, are eligible to be enrolled on the electoral roll if they have been resident in a particular constituency for 3 months or more.
To settle the matter, we checked with the experts (members of the Electoral Commission) as well as read the Electoral Act 2004, which confirms the first version.
Specifically, the Act states the qualifications of electors: a) the person is a Cook Islander, or a NZ citizen, or has the status of a permanent resident of the Cook Islands; b) has at some period actually resided continuously (here) for not less than 12 months; c) is 18 years; d) have been actually resident in the Cook Islands for a period of 3 months immediately preceding their application for registration; e) not have been convicted of any corrupt practices or any offence punishable by death, or imprisonment of 1 year or more unless that person has received a pardon or undergone the sentence or punishment for which they have been adjudged; f) are not of unsound mind. The person must also have lived in their constituency for 3 months or more.
The message is that all those who are eligible to do so, should exercise their legal right to enroll and make their vote count at the polling booth on electionday within their designated electorates, whenever it may be called.
If an eligible person is not yet registered and an election is called, they can still become registered electors and be put on the supplementary roll and such votes are also counted in the final tally on election day.

Herald Issue 463 10 June
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