Election Rules

[Pat Ayres]

I was leafing through the 'Local Election Rules 1996' (as us sad gits are want to occassionally) when I came across this gem inn relation to items Returning Officers have to make up into separate packets;

 

41 (1) (f) [page 18]

 

the tendered votes list, the list of voters marked by the presiding officer and a statement of the number of voters whose votes are so marked by the presiding officer under the heads "physical incapacity", "Jews", and "unable to read";

 

Any comments gratefully received, and possible explanations also.

[Politician]

Truly bizarre!

 

Question is, if I limp into a polling station and say, "Oy vey, I don't mean to kvetch but can you give me a hand with this ballot paper as I'm illiterate?", do I go on all three lists?

[Declan]

It's a typo.

 

In 1996 there was a lot of talk about the then new film industry and a lot people hoped that we could attract some big name movie stars to actually live here. One in particular was keen to move here. But he stipulated that he would only move here if he could play a full part in the political process, however, he had severe difficulties casting his vote, you see his flippers couldn't clutch the pen. So the law was changed to allow the returning officer to mark the ballot paper for Jaws.