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New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9213, 16 November 1888, Page 5

The regulations and procedure connected with elections in Victoria have hitherto been considered as being superior to those in any of the colonies, but a Hill is now before the Victorian Assembly to make certain alterations. Perhaps the most novel proposal in the Hill was to make the voting compulsory ; but it will be seen by a cable message .to-day that the clause to carry out that idea has been struck out, after a long discussion. There are many arguments for and against such a proposal. If the Hare system were in operation there would be no excuse for a man refraining from recording his vote, because then he might vote tor any of the candidates before the country, but at present an elector may consider that neither of thecandidates standing for his particular electorate is a suitable man, or represents his political views. The clause in question m the new Victorian Bill enacted that every elector must apply personally 011 the day of election for a ballot paper, and that any person tailing to apply should be liaole to a line of 20s, unless lie could prove to the satisfaction of Justices that he had reasonable excuse for not applying. Immediately after an election the returning officer was .to forward to the Minister a list of persons who had not voted. Another feature of the Bill which is of interest to us is that it contains a provision abolishing plural voting. It is provided that it small not be lawful for any person on any one day to vote in more than one electoral district at any election for members of the Assembly, under a penalty not exceeding £'50, or in default to be imprisoned for a term not exceeding three months. The time over winch the polling is to extend is to be from eight in the morning till six in the evening ; with us the hours are from nine to six. There are also clauses in tiie measure providing for the correctness of the poll and to prevent personation. The registrars of deaths are to send to the electoral registrars lists of deaths of all persons over 21 years, so that he may expunge their names from the list of voters. Another feature of the Bill which may be noticed is that the registrar, before issuing an elector s right, is directed to put certain questions as to the qualifications upon which the applicant seeks registration, and is also to ask him whether he is receiving relief at any eleemosynary or charitable institution. The electoral registrar is to scrutinise the moral supplementary lists, with tlieooject of detecting the name of any person who lias, in his opinion, been improperly enrolled.