asked the Minister for Local Government what arrangements exist to enable presiding officers themselves to vote at local and general elections.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Presiding Officers' Votes.
53.
A returning officer at a Dáil election has power under section 22 of the Electoral Act, 1923 to allow a presiding officer employed in the constituency for which he is registered to vote at any polling station within that constituency. Article 42 of the Local Elections Regulations, 1965 makes corresponding provision in relation to local elections.
While there may be provision for a presiding officer to cast his vote at a polling station within his constituency, even though he may not be on the register of that station, is there any provision whereby a presiding officer who is in a constituency other than his own constituency can vote? This problem may not exist in country areas but after the last redrawing of boundaries the problem arose in Dublin. In my constituency I know of two presiding officers who have presided in the same areas for years but due to the redrawing of the boundaries they are not now within their own constituency and therefore cannot cast their votes. Could the Minister not devise some scheme whereby a presiding officer, even if he is outside his own constituency, can cast his vote?
The Deputy is correct. There is no provision to enable a presiding officer presiding at a polling station which is outside his own constituency, to vote in that constituency.
The Minister will appreciate that the presiding officer by virtue of his office is precluded from leaving the station at which he is presiding. This means that if a presiding officer is presiding in a constituency in which he is not resident there is no possible way he can vote. Even if he is in a constituency in which he is resident, he very often gets his appointment a day or two before the election and he cannot, therefore, make arrangements to cast his vote in a particular booth even if it is in his own constituency.
The Deputy realises, of course, that there would be a different list of candidates in the polling station where he would be employed and, in effect, it would be a different election so that he would not be entitled to cast a vote on that ballot paper.
Therefore——
We cannot discuss this matter all evening