Manawatu Herald THURSDAY, SEPT. 15, 1898. Secrecy of the Ballot.

Manawatu Herald, 15 September 1898, Page 2

Manawatu Herald THURSDAY, SEPT. 15, 1898. Secrecy of the Ballot.

Thx late local election again aroused the question that has often been aßked why it is that the voting papers are treated differently for a parliamentary election to the way they are for a local election. The Returning Officer for an election for a member of Parliament ia directed before giving a ballot paper to an elector that he " shall write upon the bottom of the left-hand corner of the back thereof his initials and the number appearing on the roll against the name of the elector to whom he gives such paper, and, after securing the said corner by gum or otherwise, shall stamp thereon an official mark." -This precaution is quite necessary, so that should any dispute , arise about impersonation a scrutiny of the papers would show what bad occurred. In this manner, however, it is impossible for the Returning Officer or the scrutineers to get even a glimpse of the number which has been put on the ballot paper, and shows that from Buch precautions being necessary it was not only possible but probable that in the absence of such precautions efforts would be made to find out how electors had voted. Just now we could not have a better time to raise this question as our Returning Officer cannot be supposed to be in the least influenced by any local feeling and be is also leaving the districfc, and thus what we point out will be quite understood as having no reference to him. The election for a member of Parliament is conducted over a large area, and the deputy Returning Officers are generally so placed that no local man is in charge of the booth he resides near, and thus less local feeling is intro duced and therefore less anxiety is *-hown to know how eleotors voted, yet far greater precautions as to secrecy are prescribed than for local elections. The Act governing local elections merely directs that " before giving any voting paper the Return r ing Officer shall write upon the left; haiid corner of the back thereof his initials and, except where the voter is voting on a miner's right the number appearing in the roll against f he name of the voter to whom he gives such paoer." We know that Returning Officers at local elections do fhis but no more, the matter of concealing the number ip left to them and they do not see the neces sity of it. It is however a very great temptation to the local officer, who may be the Town Olerk of a small borough to find out in a quiet way who have supported a member who may have expressed opinions unfavourably towards himself. Whatever importance there may be in concealing the number placed on the ballot paper in a general election, appears to be of greater importance in a local election, and it would be well if the alteration should bq made to place both elections on even terms so as to make the ballot as secret as it is possible to do.