VPRS 17317 Voter's Rolls

Full description

Municipal voter's rolls were created annually from voter's lists made of eligible ratepayers. who were reviewed and certified, as being entitled to vote at a municipal election.

Voter's rolls do not include every adult resident in a municipality. Exclusions were made and changed over time generally because of age, sex, nationality, value of property, whether the individual was a ratepayer or, until around 1958, whether the individual's rates were in arrears at the time the roll was created.

Voter's rolls and lists were known under various titles including ratepayer's rolls and lists (circa 1854), Burgess rolls and lists (circa 1860s), citizen's rolls and lists and, from around 1939, voter's rolls and lists.

This series may consist of both rolls and lists. For some years, rolls might not have survived and lists have been included or the lists may have been included in a single bound volume. Voters on the final roll were allocated a consecutively running roll number whereas persons on lists are generally unnumbered, although their rate number may be included.

Information contained in the roll generally includes:

- the number on the roll
- full name of the voter
- residence and post town or post office
- nature of calling or occupation
- whether an owner or occupier
- location or other description of rateable property
- annual value of rateable property, and
- number of votes entitled.