Electoral Law Amendment

Southland Times, Issue 19185, 24 October 1903, Page 2

Electoral Law Amendment

Close on midnight we received, per favour of the Premier aud per telegraph, tho new Electoral Act Amendment 13:11 dt contains thousands of words and is not of such an urgeilt nature Unit it should havo been sent out of the i-tdin-ary course and to the hindrance of other telegraphed matter In glancing through it we note that there ore to bo a chief electoral officer and a deputy. Registrars are also to be returning ofl.cers. Tlie chief electoral officer is to have the roll for every district printed ; supplementary rolls will be attended to by the registrars. The belated voter may be enrolled between the issue of a v.*rU and the day of an election, a " permit " being given to him. Registrar-- of deaths are to send lists of tho names of adults in their districts who have died dLring the year; also monthly lists to the registrars Employers aro to give v triers " reasonable- facilities " for em oliuent and for voting. The right to stand for election is to cost £'Jk>, not A lO as at present and the candidate must * all onefourth of the votes given to the successful man. or lose his deposit At present the ratio is one-tenth. Electors may vole at any polling place outside of their districts. A cross is to indicute the elector's fancy, not the uiasure of the other names, although the latter is not forbidden Where no candidate receives an absolute majority ot votes (greater than one-half of all tho votes recorded) there is to be a second poll between the two leading candidates. A member who becomes a contractor (under the (iovernment ?) or joins the Civil Service is to forfeit his seat. Interference with voters and the distribution of bogus ballot papers is made punishable These appear to bo the points of the bill ihut it is possible to set forth without publishing all the Acts that are referred i«. The bill bristles with *.enalties A false statement made to secure a ballot paper after the supplementary roll is closed is punishable by twelve montha imprisonment