Voting By Post.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 172, 1 August 1901, Page 4

Voting By Post.

(Lyttelton Times.)

The Premier's objection to Mr Pirani’s amendment to the Referendum Pill, that voting by post would interfere with the secrecy of the ballot, is surely based on some misconception of the nature of the proposal. As far as we can see, there is not the slightest reason why a ballot-paper handed to a postmaster should not be kept just as secret as one given to a returningofficer. The use of electors' rights, which really amounts to voting by post, has not been attended by any disastrous results, and shearers and seamen have just the same protection as is extended to persons who place their papers in the ballot-box with their own hands. We believe ourselves that the time is not very far distant when oven the voting at Parliamentary elections will be conducted through the post offices. The great obstacle, to annual Parliaments, the one plank of the “ People’s Charter ” that we have not yet secured, is the clumsiness of the present system of ascertaining the will of the electors. If the cost and turmoil of a general election could bo avoided there would be many advantages in choosing our representatives every year. It is only necessary to notice how amenable members of Parliament are to public opinion as their term of office draws to a close to realise how much the country would gain if they were kept in constant touch with their constituents. It would not do, of course, to issue electors’ rights that could be filled up and despatched through the post without any kind of supervision. If that wore done the abuses which the Premier predicts could easily arise. But if every postmaster were made a deputy returning officer for his district, and the poll kept open for a week, the voting could go on without any fuss or bother, and no one would be disturbed by its progress. Perhaps, at first, there would be a few more attempts at impersonation than there arc at present, but if the penalty for this offence were made sufficiently severe there would soon be little cause for complaint. The ballots to bo taken under the Referendum Bill present a particularly favourable opportunity for testing the practicability of voting by post, and wo hope'that when the measure is before the Legislative Council Mr Pirani’s proposal will be revived.