BLIND AND ILLITERATE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21879, 15 August 1934, Page 13

BLIND AND ILLITERATE

BETTER VOTING SYSTEM DUTIES OF ASSISTANTS [BY TELEGRAPH SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Tuesday The announcement that improved facilities for blind voters had been arranged was made by the Prime Minister, Mr. Forbes, when fnoving the second reading of the Electoral Amendment Bill in the House of Representatives to-night. The provision would follow the recommendations recently made by Mr. Clutha Mackenzie. Mr. W. E. Parry (Labour —Auckland Central): There will not be so many blind electors next election. Mr. Forbes: You can make a joke of our blind citizens if you like. Mr. R. McKeen (Labour —Wellington South): He was referring to the mentally blind. * Mr. Forbes: Well, he may know more about the mentally blind than I do. The amendment, which was circulated later, provides that a blind or illiterate voter may, at his request, be accompanied into one of the inner compartments reserved for the marking of ballot papers by a person qualified to assist him in marking the ballot paper, which shall be marked by the voter, with the assistance of his' compruiion, or may be marked by the companion, in accordance with the instructions of the voter. No person shall be qualified to assist more than two voters to mark their papers, and the assistant must himself be registered as an elector, but not necessarily of the same district. The assistant must satisfy the deputyreturning officer that he is registered as an elector, and has not already assisted more than one voter. If the assistant communicates to anv person information as to the candidate for whom the voter has voted, ho shall be liable, on summary conviction, to six months' imprisonment.