ELECTORAL ACT 1985 - SECT 80A
ELECTORAL ACT 1985 - SECT 80A
80A—Voting near polling booth in certain circumstances
(1) If a voter
satisfies the presiding officer that the voter is unable (because of illness,
disability, advanced pregnancy or other condition) to enter the polling booth
to vote, the presiding officer may allow the voter to vote at or near the
polling place outside of the polling booth.
(2) The presiding
officer must, before issuing the voter with a ballot paper, inform any
scrutineers present of the proposed action and invite 1 scrutineer for each
candidate to be present at the place where the voting will occur.
(3) The following
provisions apply to a voter to whom subsection (1) applies:
(a) in
the case of a voter casting an ordinary vote—after the voter has marked
a vote on the ballot paper, the presiding officer must, in the presence of the
scrutineers, ensure—
(i)
that the ballot paper is folded to conceal the vote and
placed in an envelope that is then sealed; and
(ii)
that the envelope is opened inside the polling booth and
the folded ballot paper is placed in the ballot box;
(b) in
the case of a voter casting a declaration vote—the voter must—
(i)
sign the appropriate declaration on the envelope (which
must be signed by the person before whom the vote is taken as witness); and
(ii)
mark a vote on the ballot paper and fold it so as to
conceal the vote; and
(iii)
place the ballot paper in the envelope provided and seal
the envelope,
and the presiding officer must then, in the presence of the scrutineers,
ensure that the envelope is deposited in the ballot box;
(c) if a
voter satisfies the presiding officer that the voter is unable to vote without
assistance, the voter may be assisted in accordance with section 80 as if
the voter were in the polling booth.