THE Bay of Plenty Times.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume IV, Issue 347, 5 January 1876, Page 3

THE Bay of Plenty Times.

" THE. SPffilT OF TttE T4ME&. SHALL TEACH ME SPEED."' KING "JOHN, ACT IV. "Wednesday, Januaby 5, 1876.. .. — - - i» Oiraof the-great advantages secured "by the Eegulation of Election's Act,. 1870,.is the secrecy, of the ballot. It has found detractors in individuals who, through, intimidation and other

influences wouldy but- for it,- gain ascendancy ;, but, in order to show that under the present Act the secrecy is absolute, and that even the Returning Officer and his Deputies are debarred under oath from ascertaining who any elector, has voted for, we propose as briefly as possible to. explain the proceedings as conducted under its provisions. At nine o'clock, the hour for the commencement of the poll, the Eeturning Officer and his Deputy must exhibit the ballot box, to prove that it is empty. -. After so doing, it is locked, the ballot papers being put th.rou.gli a narrow slit in the upper side. The voting may then go on. Each elector, who wishes to vote, on presenting, himself to the Eeturning Officer is asked his name, and such other questions as may be deemed necessary to prove that he- has not , already voted, or been bribed to vote ; if necessary, replies to these questions may be demanded on oath. The elector's name having been found on the roll, a mark is made opposite the number placed before-- it. This is the only practical safeguard against votes being recorded, more than once. 1 The number is' then placed on one comer of the voting paper, and a stamp on another. The voter then takes the paper Satothe polling booth, but he must first ascertain that nobody is in it. Any person entering . a booth while another is in it is liable to a penalty, or imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years. The 1 "voter will see on the paper given to him the names of the candidates in alphabetical order. In the- present election there are four candidates,, only one of whom can be elected. The- voter has to strike out the names of those- three he objects to. If he strikes out only one name the vote is illegal, and consequently thrown away. It will not . do to make a mark of any sort before or after the name, nor is it legal to write any name on the paper. The • names ob j ected to having been struct out, the, paper must be folded in such a manner as- to place the number inside, and the stamp ©utside. The latter ought to be turned towards the Returning Officer- or Poll Clerk as it is dropped into the box. Persons who are unable to read must instruct the Eeturning Officer to strike out, in the presence of a witness if desired, the names they object to, but even these cannot be disclosed. This i box is not opened until the close of the poll, when the papers are separately opened in such a manner as not to shoio the number on the bach. The candidate's name that has not been struck out is then ascertained, and a mark made opposite his name, on a list for that purpose. When this- is completed the marks are counted. The scrutineers as well as the Poll Clerks (if any) are bound under oath to do nothing towards ascertaining who any elector voted for, nor even look at the numbers on the backs of any of the papers. As soon as the- number of votes recorded for each candidate have been correctly ascertained, the papers, and even the rolls on which the names are checked, must be made up .in parcels duly labelled amct signed by the Eeturning Officer, and then sealed by him. The scrutineers may also 'affix their-- seals. The parcels are. sent to the Clerk of the House of Representatives to be there kept. They can only be taken out of Eis custody by an order from the Supreme Court. • It will thus be seen that the utmost secrecy compatible with a due control of the election has been secured. A voter may; go> and record his vote without the ■ least , fear of his. vote being divulged. It is not known even to the Eeturning Officer, and the' scrutineers: are such a perfect check upon ■him, and upon- each other, that corruption is practically impossible. Electors who had : any doubt on this score may, therefore, safely vote for whatever candidate . they may thiiiik proper.,, . •