LICENSING POLLS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXV, Issue 201, 23 August 1904, Page 3

LICENSING POLLS.

THE NEW BILL. ggOVISION FOX A SECOND BALLOT. jjBW METIIOi. OF VOTING AT LOCAL ELECTIONS. my Telegraph-— l\..i-umuutary Reporter.) WELLj-n-JTOX, this day. The Government-, long expected Local Elections Bill made Ha appearance last ebt The measure is mainly a consolidating one, but it contains a number of nCW clauses, including those asked for , the no-license party, with the object J preventing polls being invalidated by technical irregularities which would not affect the result of the poll. "Proposal" j, included in the interpretation of ffhat a poll may be taken on. Every deputy returning ollicer i* made personally responsible for the safe custody of a ll voting papers used at the booth a. Tfhieh he presides from the time each tin 1, paper is placed in the ballot box ■l {fog voter until the parcel of used ballot papers has been returned to the returning officer, while the latter is responsible for the safe keeping until they leach the clerk to the nearest -Mug jstrate's Court. Am , oflicer failing to take reasonable eteps'to secure the safety of ;;11 vo.iiy papers for which he is responsible with the result thut liny paper -was removed froir his custody is liable to a fine of £50 or to six months* imprisonment. To the clauses i> signed to prevent jfluble voting, for a breach of any of which tire offender is liable to two years' imprisonment, is ndded a provision making any person li.'.lj' , .' in this punishment who obtains of any voting paper other than the one given him by the returning oliii er tor the purpose of recording liis vote nr retains any voting paper in his after leaving the polling booth, Tins section is designed to prevent n repetition of what took place at a previous election, when a voting paper found its way into the hands of the Rev. F. Isitt, and of which a great deal of capital was made by btoh Bides.

As in the Electoral Bill of las.t session, the method of voting is by placing across against the name of the proposal which the elector favours, and the important proviso is added that no voting paper shall be rejected as informal that i-learly indicates the candidate or candidates for whom the voter intends to vote. whether such indication is made in the manner prescribed by this section or by striking out the names of candidate or candidates for whom the voter did not intend to vote. With the object of ensuring secrecy a proviso is added that the. returning officer and his deputies shall upon and after the opening of the ballot-boxes both abstain himself from inspecting the writing on the back of the votingpapers and take care- that the same is not seen by any person present. A large number of new clauses are inserted for the regulation of polls other than elections. The proceedings at such polls are similar to tho.-sc in the case of ordinary elections, but minor amendments axe made as to the scrutineers. The proceedings regarding disputed dections or polls are simplified, it behig provided that where any candidate and two electors or where any six electors are dissatisfied with the result of any election or poll, they may within 14 days after the declaration of the result of the election or poll, by petition filed in the Court, demand an inquiry as to the conduct of the election at tlv poll, or of any candidate or other person thereat. Such petition mint be accompanied by a deposit of L lO, and must set forth the specific grounds of complaint, and no other grounds shall be investigate<l; provided that in the case of an election evidence may be given to prove that the election of any candidate (other than the candidate whose election is petitioned against) would be invalid in the same manner as if the petition had complained of his election, and in the cn.se of a poll evidence may be given to prove that some proposal other than that declared to be carried was rejected and not carried. Any candidate, in the case of an election, or any six electors in the case ot a poll, may at any time before the commencement of the inquiry file aj nojtiee of his or her intention to oppose the petition, and thereupon the candidate or electors giving such notice shall he deemed to be the respondent or respondents to the petition. The inquiry shall be commenced within 14 days after the tiling of the petition, and not less than seven days' public notice shall be given of the time and place at which the inquiry "will be hfild. The Magistrate may cite parties and compel evidence, and may at any time during the inquiry direct a recount or scrutiny of the votes given at the election or poll, and shall disallow the vote of every person who (a) has voted not being entitled to vote, or (b) has given more votes than he was entitled to give. The magistrate shall determine whether, by reason of some irregularity that in his opinion tended materially to affect tne result of the election or poll, the election or poll is void, cr whether, in the case of an elec™n, the candidate whose election is complained of. ov any and what other candidate was. or were, duly elected, or whether in the case of a poll any and w hat proposal was duly carried. On an y such inquiry the magistrate may r epMt to the Minister the names of all persons found to have been guilty of auy irregularity at or in connection will) the Section or poll, and shall state in such report whether or not in his opinion any such irregularity tended to defeat the 'airness of the" clod ion or poll, and or not such irregularity tended materially to a fleet the result thereWμ' 2 ' eVCry P ersull so named shall be jwble where ih<> irregularity tended in! ~e opinion of the magistrate materially to affect the result of thy election M Poll to a fine nor exceeding JCIOOWaller fines being provided for less B Wious offence*. Where an election or poll is declared ►Old a fresh election or poll shall be JT d n °t later than 25 days after the te of the declaration, under the provisions, so far a≤ practicable rwA Voided elec tion or poll. by the magistrate shall be ?"«> and shall not be removed to the r eme Court by eertiorari or other- ■ • nor shall any writ of quo warranto SUe for trying the validity of any elec-