The Sun.
London, England, 1857-04-11 00:00:00

TAB BALLOT LAW IN AIT,TBALIA.

A copy of the electoral law of the colony of Vic-
toria as forwarded to England for the royal assent
appears in the shape of a Parliamentary paper just
isAued, and in 2ccordance with an address of the
House of Commons. The following clauses in this
measure refer to the vote by ballot, which has now
become the law in Victoria :

Sec. XXXV.. At every booth or polling place
there shill be one or more compartments or ballot
rooms provided with ink and pens for the purpose
of enabling the elector to mark the ballot paper as
hereinafter provided, in which room no person
other than the returning officer or his deputy, the
poll clerk, and the scrutineers of the several candi-
dates to be appointed as hereinafter provided, and
the electors who shall for that time be tendering
their votes shall be entitled to be present, and any
person other than such returning officer, pell clerk,
scrutineers, and elec tors act na lly recording their votes
who shall intrude into such room, shall be deemed
guilty of a misdemeanour. Provided always, that
it shall be lawful for the returning officer, and de-
puty returning officer,, or poll clerk, to summon to
his assistance in such compartment or room any
member or members of the police force for the pur-
pose of preserving the public peace, quelling any
breach thereof that may have arisen, and for re-
moving out of such room any person or persons who
may, in his opinion, be obstructing the polling or
wilfully violating any of the provisions of this act.
XXXVI. The returning officer, or his deputy,
shall provide a locked box, of which he shall keep
the key, with a cleft or opening in such box capable
of receiving the ballot-paper, and which box
shall stand upon the table at which the returning-
officer, deputy returning-officer, or poll-clerk, and
scrutineers preside. And each elector shall, having
previously satisfied as herein provided the return-
ing officer or his deputy that he is entitled to vote
at such election, then receive from the returning-
officer, or deputy returning-officer, or poll-clerk, a
ballot paper in the form in the schedule hereunto
annexed, marked (F), and which ballot paper shall
be signed on the back by the returning-officer with
his name, and such elector shall in the compart-
ment or ballot room, provided for the purpose,
strike out the names of such candidateS as he does
not intend to vote for, and shall forthwith fold up
the same in such manner as will conceal the names
of the candidates, and display that of the return-
ing-officer written upon the back, and deposit it in
the ballot box in the pretence of the returning-offi-
cer, or deputy returning-officer, or poll-dlork and
scrutineers ; and in case such elector shall be unable
to read or shall be blind he shall signify the same
to the returning officer or deputy returning-officer
or poll-clerk, who shall thereupon mark or strike
out the names of such candidates as the elector may
designate, and no elector shall take out of such
room any such ballot paper either before or after
he has marked the same, and any elector willingly
infringing any of the provisions of this claw. e, or
obstructing the polling by any unnecessary delay
in performing any act within the ballot-room, shall
be deemed guilty of amisdemeanour.

XXXVII. After the nomination of the,seTeral
candidates for the province or district shall have
taken place, the returning officer shall cause to be
printed a number of ballot papers in the form (F),
which ballot papers he shall keep in his own cus-
tody, and before the day of polling he shall deliver
to each deputy returning officer such number of
ballot papers, signed by himself, as shall be suffi-
cient for the electors who may poll at the booth or
polling place within such deputy's division ; and
he shall also sign a sufficient number of ballot
papers for the electors who may poll at the booth
or polling place over which he shall himself pre-
side, and it shall be the duty of the returning offi-
cer, and deputy returning officer, to keep an exact
account of such signed ballot papers.
XXXVIII. Before delivering the ballot paper to
the elector, as hereinbefore provided, the returning
officer, or deputy returning officer, or poll clerk,
shall write upon each ballot paper so delivered to
such elector the number corresponding to the num-
ber set opposite to the elector's name in the elec-
toral roll, and shall thereupon check or _mark off
upon a certified copy of the electoral roll such
voter's name as having voted, and such numbers so
corresponding as aforesaid shall be sufficient prima
facie evidence of the identity of the electors whose
names shall appear on the roll, and of the fact of
their having voted at the election, at which such
ballot papers were delivered.
__

XXXIX. The returning officer shall preside at
one polling-place within his province or district,
and shall appoint by writing under his hand a de-
puty or deputies or poll clerk to act fur him and
preside at each of the other polling places or
booths appointed as aforesaid for taking the poll
for such province or district or any division there-
of respectively, and a poll clerk for each compart-
ment or ballot room when there are more than one.
XLL—Each candidate may appoint one person
to be scrutineer at each booth, or polling place, and
in every compartment thereof at the election, and
every person so appointed scrutineer shall, upon
his appointment, make and subscribe the following
declaration in the presence of the returning officer,
or deputy returning officer :

"I, A. 8., a scrutineer appointed by C. D., a
candidate at the election of a member to serve in
the Legislative Council (or in the Legislative As-
sembly, as the case may be) for X.., do hereby
solemnly declare that I will faithfully assist at such
election, and that I will not attempt to ascertain
for whom any elector shall vote, neither will I by
any word or action directly or indirectly aid in the
discovery of the same unless in answer to any ques-
tion which I am legally bound to answer, or in
compliance with the provisions of this act."
SCHEDULE F.
BALLOT PAPER—FORM.
Province (or district) of [here insert name of pro-
vince or district].
Candidates' names (here arranged alphabetically)
—William Brown, Henry Smith, Charles Stevens,
John Thompson. The voter is to strike out the
name or names of the candidate or candidates for
whome he does not intend to vote by drawing aline
through the same with a pen.
He must be careful not to leave uncancelled more
names then are capable of being returned for the
province or district in which he votes, namely (here
insert number), names, otherwise his ballot-papeir
will be invalid.

If be cannot read he may require the returning
officer or deputy returning officer to strike out for
him suchinanie or names as be may designate.
The ballot-paper so-marked by or for the voter is
to be dropped by him into the ballot box.
The voter is not to be permitted to take his bal-
lot paper out of the ballot room or polling booth.