ELECTORAL LAW.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 18 March 1926, Page 3

ELECTORAL LAW.

AMENDMENTS. UNDER CON* SIDERATION. By Telegraph—Press Association. WELLINGTON, March 17. Tn reply to a question, the Primes Minister (Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates) in-formed-a “Post” reporter to-day that the possibility of amendments being made in tho electoral law was at piesent receiving consideration. Under the law as it stands there are no facilities for talcing the votes of people who are in hospital, or who are bedridden at tho time of an election. The position is that a person may he registered as. an elector and be in every way qualified to vote, but unless he is able to go to a polling booth no vote can bo taken or recorded. An elector, through no fault of his own, is thus disfranchised. Various suggestions for overcoming the difficulty had been made in tho past, including proposals that electoral officers should be permitted to enter hospitals'- to afford patients an opportunity of casting their votes. Objection had been made by medical practitioners to the idea of talcing votes in hospital on the ground that such a practice might in certain cases be inimical to the- health of patients. The position was being investigated by-tho Government with a view of seeing whether some means of taking the! votes of sick people cannot he found. Mr Coates stated that the possibility of a postal ballot being provided /iii such circumstances was beiiig' looked into. 'lt is ■ understood also that as a result of two recent election petitions, it may be found necessary to make certain alterations to the-elec-toral legislation, including amongst other things the inclusion of some provision regarding the assessment of costs in proceedings before ,an Election Court. Some members of the Legislature hold the view that it in not strictly fair that an unsuccessful party should be mulcted In heavy costs by an Emotion Courts especially where he lias hot initiated the proceedings.