ELECTORAL LAW

Evening Star, Issue 12026, 26 October 1903, Page 1

ELECTORAL LAW

*tos Bm mtrocteced by the Pxemkr-to amend tie Electoral Act> 1302, *hieh is to be read i£at Ac£> is in tfc main , machinery measure, specially deseed to facihtate the expression, of popular opinio in Pariiament and prevent the retain ol candidates -who do not represent the majority of the electcn?, but through a splitting up of votes and interests head the poll* There were many instances of this a± the last General Election, so that ccnstituerrcieswere prariacally disfranchised, the sitting members being really chosen by--small-mino-rities. The Bfll meets drfficulties wbicii have been found to be presented in the operation, of tie law regulating the rcgistratioo of electors, the compiktion of the electoral rolls, and the functions, of Tetuming officers. It is made the duty of the registrars in the several electoral" districts to place on the rolls the names of all persons having valid claims, "and liberal provision is made for the compilation of supplementary rolls up to the very List moment practicable before an election, so tha* no duly qualffied elector may, under ordinary cirenmstances,' be excluded. It is,, further, the duty of the registrar to keep the roll purged by the elimination at recurrent periods of the names of. electors? who have died. Every registrar of births and deaths is required during the first, fourteen days of the month of July m every year to send to the chief electoral officer at Wellington, a correct list of the deaths of all adult persons registered by him during the twelve months ended on the 30l*i June then last past, stating in such list the residence, occupation, and age at the time of death of each person -whose death was so registered. He is also, on cr before tho fifth day of every month, to sand to th-s registrar of electors of the district a like list of the deaths of all adult persons regbtered by him during the- preceding month. The chief electoral officer, or registrar, as tho case may be, is to cause the nana of every such person to be removed from t!>i roll. One of the most important points in the Bill is the carrying cuS of the '«;:g----expressed "wish of the Premier ia rciJcvng provision for a second ballot. If, on counting the ballot papers at an election, the returning officer finds that any candidate has received an absolute majority of the votes—meaning thereby a number of votes greater than one-half of the number of all the votes recorded at the election, excKETc of the rotes rejected as informal (but inclusive of the casting vole of the returning officer wiien given)—he is to publicly declare that candidate to be elected. If he finds thai no candidate has received an absolute majority of vote??, a second poll is to L?. taken, of which the returning officer is ;o give notice in tho prescribed form. Such second poll is to be taken en such day as the returning officer fixes, being net move tbmi seven days from the date of the notice, between the candidate who but for thj provisions of the last preceding section would havo Iwcii declared entitled to iji> elected and the one who receives the next highest number of votes. Tho second poll is to be taken in the same manner in all respects as the previous poll, and the candidate who then receives the greater number of votes is to be declared elected. A substantive majority of the electors actually recording their vote? will be thus be- secured, and candidates with outside chances will havo little show, not participating in the second ballot. The amount of deposit rcqidred by the principal Act to be made by or on behalf of a candidate on nomination is to be £2O, instead of £lO.. and the proportion of votes required to be polled for any non-successful candidate to.avoid forfeiture) of such deposit is to be one-fourth, instead of one-tenth, of the number polled by the successful candidate. This reems- to be ii desirable amendment, as providing a check upon reckless candidature by indiridnala or at tho instance of social reform combines. A great deal of trouble and expense was caused at the last General El;::tion by obscure persons whose ambition overleaped itself and by dummies put up bv the Prohibitionists for the purpose of forcing a poll in districts where there was r.« local demand for anything of the sort. The £2O deposit, with the certainty of forfeiture, may induce consideration. In regard to die conduct of elections, tho Bill contains stringent provisions which are distinctly required for the protection, ■comfort, and convenience of electors in recording tbeir votes. Every person is declared to be liable to a fine not exceeding £2O who at an election in any way interferes with an. elector either in the polling booth or whileon his way thereto with the intention of influencing him or advising him as to his' vote, or prints or distributes or delivers to any person on tho day of the poll, or at any time during three days inrmediatery preceding the poll, anything being or purporting to lie in imitation of any ballot paper to be used at the poll or having thereon the name-of candidates, together with any direction or indication as to how any person shall vote, or in any way containing any such direction or indication.; or during the hours in which -the poll is being taken makes any public demonstration having reference thereto by means of living figures, effigies, paintings, placards, or other like means, or obtains ])ossession of any ballot papers-other than the one given him by the returning officer, for the purpose of recording his vote, or retains any ballot paper in his possession after leaving the polling booth. It- is quite right to put down the touting for votes, which is so apt to degenerate into an offensive nuisance, but we would point out tbat this is most in evidence at the Local: Option polls, to which these penal clauses should be made speeifically to apply.

Perhaps "the most peculiar case-of Euicifie ever reported was that of a middle-aged woman who was found croached in bed ■with, her back pressed against the beadrail of the bed, her elbows propped upon her bent knees, and both hands used to tightly compre» her throat. Another very strange case (writes ' Science Siftings') was that of a young girl who slept in the same bed with, two young lady companions. Site Castened ai stoat eard to the foot of the bed, and passing a noose around her throat leaned back until the strained cord strangled hex, and she actually 1 effected her porposu without awakening her bedfelkws. Ah older woman made a running loop in s* rope, which -was' passed over her head. She then fastened a heavy weight to tin other end, which she proceeded to throw over the lower end at the thni^cctasDh>hedJ^fodi^£nd>