asked the Minister for Local Government whether there are any provisions which preclude an authorised officer from permitting a voter in the Seanad Election to show his ballot paper to a third person while or after marking such paper; if so, what penalty is laid down; and whether both the voter and the authorised officer are liable to such penalty.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Seanad Elections.
8.
Rule 8 of the First Schedule to the Seanad Electoral (Panel Members) Act, 1947, prescribes the procedure to be followed in connection with the marking of ballot papers. It provides that the elector must produce five unmarked ballot papers to the authorised person, mark one or more of the papers, then place the ballot papers in the ballot paper envelope, put that envelope and his declaration of identity in a covering envelope which he must effectually close. He then hands the closed envelope to the authorised person who affixes a prescribed label to it and signs a certificate on the label. The rule provides that no person other than the elector and the authorised person may be present while this procedure is being followed. No statutory penalty is provided for a breach of the rule.
The vote would not be invalid in any way because of a breach of the rule? There is no statutory penalty?
Not that I am aware of.