The Electoral Act 1902

Thames Star, 24 November 1902, Page 3

The Electoral Act 1902

The above Act, which was passed to ' consolidate and amend the law relating to the irepresentiationi iq_ the people of the colony in- the House of Representatives, contains one or two rather important clauses relating to the conduct of elections, which' electors and others will do well to bear in mind during the election. Clause 145 enacts that every Returning Officer shall maintain order and keep the peace at the polling place where he is conducting the poll, and may without any other warrant than this Act (a) "Cause to be arrested and taken before a Justice any person reasonably suspected of committing or attempting to commit at a- polling place any of the offences mentioned in section 150 hereof, which reads— "(1). Every person who—(a) Forges, or counterfeits, cr fraudent'y destroys any ballot paper, or the official mark on any ballot paper; or (b) without due authority supplies any ballot paper to any person ; or (c) fraudulently puts into any ballot-box any paper other than the ballot paper which is authorised by law to put therein; or (d) fraudulently takes optt of the polling booth' any ballot paper; or (c) without due authority destroys, takes, opens, or otherwise interferes with any ballot box, or box or packet or parcel of ballot papers then in use for the purposes of the election, or in course of transmission by post or otherwise, or thereafter [ wherever the same may be kept as a record of such, e'ection—commits an j offence, and is liable, if he is a Re- ' turning Officer or an officer or clerk . in attendance at, a polling booth, to imprisonment for any term not, exceeding two years, with, or without hard labour." Under the heading "Illegal! Practices" it is laid down that every person commits an illegal action who makes any wager, bet, or other risk of any nature upon the result of any election under the Act. Clause 147 enacts that it shall not be lawful for any person to distribute or deliver to any person on the day of the poll being or purporting to be an imitation of any ballot papers to be . used at any poll. Untrue or defamatory matter calculated to influent the vote of an elector, must not be' published.