asked the Minister for Defence if any members of the Army complained against the absence of complete secrecy in the postal vote during the recent referendum; and if he has any evidence that a considerable number of Army personnel refrained from utilising the postal vote on this ground.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Postal Vote Secrecy.
32.
One member of the Permanent Defence Force raised certain matters regarding the procedure generally for postal voting and expressed a doubt as to the secrecy of the ballot.
The arrangements for postal voting derive from the procedure laid down in the Electoral Act, 1923, and are that each member of the Force who is on the Postal Voters' List receives the following documents from the Returning Officer for his constituency shortly before the polling day:
(a) a ballot paper,
(b) a receipt for ballot paper,
(c) an envelope addressed to the Returning Officer (referred to as a "Covering Envelope"); and
(d) a smaller envelope marked "Ballot Paper Envelope" bearing the number of the ballot paper.
The intending voter is required immediately on his receiving these papers to—
(1) sign the receipt for ballot paper,
(2) record his vote by marking the ballot paper secretly in accordance with instructions contained on the back of the "Receipt for Ballot Paper" and
(3) place the marked ballot paper (without showing any person how he has marked it) in the "Ballot Paper Envelope", fasten the envelope and place it, together with the signed "Receipt for Ballot Paper", in the larger "Covering Envelope" addressed to the Returning Officer, fasten the latter and post it without delay.
The answer to the second part of the Question is "No".