The House of Assembly will at its next sitting be considering amendments to the Elections Act, R.S.A. c. E30. These amendments are intended to assist in ensuring greater transparency and accountability in the conduct of elections.
The Bill seeks to amend the Elections Act, R.S.A. c. E30 to make provision for the use of electoral ink; to require candidates to make a Declaration as to their qualification and to provide for other incidental matters, which are set out below.
To eliminate the possibility of persons voting more than once, new sections are to be included in the Elections Act, which establishes that a potential voter can only be given a ballot paper where there is no evidence of electoral ink on his hands. The presiding officer shall not permit a ballot to be cast until the voter immerses a finger in the electoral ink. Where the voter refuses to immerse a finger in the electoral ink, the voter’s ballot will be destroyed. The Bill makes it an offence if the presiding officer fails to carry out these requirements. The provisions will not apply to voters with no hands.
The Bill provides for it to be an offence if a person seeking to be elected as a member of the House of Assembly knowingly or negligently makes a false declaration as to his/her qualification to be elected as a member of the House of Assembly. A person, who is guilty of a false declaration, is liable, on conviction to imprisonment for two (2) years.
It is further provided that persons convicted of the offence of false declarations will be disqualified, during a period of seven (7) years from the date of conviction, from being registered as a voter and from being elected or appointed as a member of the House of Assembly, or from retaining his seat if convicted after his election or appointment.
Form 5 of Schedule 2 of the Elections Act is being amended to allow for more detailed information about the nominee and to require the nominee to declare that he is qualified in accordance with the Constitution to be elected as a member of the House of Assembly. This places the onus squarely on the nominee to consider his eligibility to offer himself as a candidate for elections at the outset of the electoral process.
A new Form is being included, which sets out the oath to be taken by the voter whose appropriate finger is concealed because of injury and to allow a clear indication that the voter has not voted.
Stanley E. Reid
Deputy Governor
– Press Release
(Published without editing by The Anguillian newspaper.)
