Arising out of the discussion on the Committee Stage I am going to move an amendment. The amendment is:—
In page 4, before Section 6 to insert a new section as follows:—
INSERTION OF ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS IN BALLOT PAPER.
6.—The Principal Act shall be construed and have effect as if the Form of Ballot Paper set out in Part I. of the Schedule to this Act were inserted in Part III. of the Fifth Schedule to the Principal Act in lieu of Form No. 6 now contained in the said Part III. of the said Fifth Schedule and the Directions as to Printing Ballot Paper set out in Part II. of the Schedule to this Act were inserted at the end of Form No. 7 in the said Part III. of the said Fifth Schedule to the Principal Act in lieu of the Directions as to Printing Ballot Paper now set out at the end of the said Form No. 7 in the said Part III. of the said Fifth Schedule.
In page 4 to insert at the end of the Bill a Schedule as follows:—
SCHEDULE FORMS—PART I.
FORM OF BALLOT PAPER.
(To be used only in elections at which there are more than two candidates.)
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Mark Order of Preference in space below. |
FORM OF FRONT OF BALLOT PAPER.Names of Candidates. |
Counterfoil No. |
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DOYLE, JAMES (Oilman). |
Note:The Counter foil is to have a number to correspond with that on the Ballot Paper. |
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(James Doyle, of 10 High Street, Oilman.) |
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DOYLE, WILLIAM (Grocer). |
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(William Doyle, of 12 Main Street, Grocer.) |
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O'BRIEN, MATTHEW (Accountant). |
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(Matthew O'Brien, of 22 Wellclose Place, Accountant.) |
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O'BRIEN, PATRICK (Gentleman). |
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(Patrick O'Brien, of 7 Green Street, Gentleman.) |
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O'BRIEN, PATRICK JOSEPH (Silversmith). |
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(Patrick Joseph O'Brien, of 14 Queen Street, Silversmith.) |
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WILSON, THOMAS (Ranelagh Square). |
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(Thomas Wilson, of 22 Ranelagh Square, Chemist.) |
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WILSON, THOMAS, (Dartry Road). |
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(Thomas Wilson, of 172 Dartry Road, Dentist.) |
FORM OF BACK OF BALLOT PAPER.
Number..............
Election for County (or Borough or University) Constituency.
Note.—The number on the back of the ballot paper is to correspond with that on the counterfoil.
Arising out of an amendment by Deputy Heffernan on the Committee Stage, there was a good deal of discussion as to how safeguards would be provided against confusion arising out of similar names. Of course, it is impossible to provide a safeguard for every possible hypothetical case of duplication that can be put up. Really in many cases the only thing for the candidates to do to safeguard their own position is to stress, in their election literature, the various points which will differentiate them from other candidates with similar names. However, there is one point in the electoral law which, as it stands at present, we can improve upon. The law provides that if the surname and Christian name of two candidates are the same, that their occupation or address will, if necessary, be printed in capital letters in order the better to identify them. There are cases where candidates are not known by their Christian names. They may be known as, say, "Dr. Ryan," or "Mr. Ryan," but nobody knows what the Christian name is. In these particular cases I think it is as well, where both the Christian name and the surname are similar, that this should be done. That is the object of this amendment. If the Christian names are not similar their occupations or addresses, whichever is considered to be the best means of differentiating between them, are to be printed in large letters. In the Committee Stage Deputy Wilson raised the point also, and I might add for his information that the name "Wilson" has been doing very long and honourable service in our posters since the year 1898. I suppose "Mr. Wilson" is the oldest candidate we have going up in this election. There is, however, a provision in the Electoral Act where there is a candidate going forward, in a constituency, with the same name as any of the names on the posters, that we should have the name altered, and if the Returning Officer sends a telegram to the Stationery Office he can have another series of posters sent down by return.