Local Government (Scotland) Act 1947

Marking of Ballot Papers.

18 A ballot paper shall be delivered to an elector who applies therefor, and immediately before delivery—

(a) the ballot paper shall be marked with the official mark either embossed or perforated;

(b) the number, name and address of the elector as stated in the copy of the register shall be called out;

(c) the number of the elector shall be marked on the counterfoil; and

(d) a mark shall be placed in the register against the number of the elector to denote that he has received a ballot paper, but without showing the particular ballot paper which he has received.

19 The elector on receiving the ballot paper shall forthwith proceed into one of the compartments in the polling station and there secretly mark his paper and fold it up so as to conceal his vote, and shall then show to the presiding officer the back of the paper so as to disclose the official mark and put the ballot paper so folded up into the ballot box in the presence of the presiding officer. The elector shall vote without undue delay, and shall leave the polling station as soon as he has put his ballot paper into the ballot box.

20 (1) The presiding officer, on the application—

(a) of an elector who is incapacitated by blindness or other physical cause from voting in manner directed by this Schedule; or

(b) if the poll is taken on a Saturday, of an elector who declares that he is a Jew and objects on religious grounds to vote in manner directed by this Schedule; or

(c) of an elector who makes a declaration that he is unable to read (in this Schedule referred to as " the declaration of inability to read ");

shall in the presence of the polling agents cause the vote of the elector to be marked on a ballot paper in manner directed by the elector and the ballot paper to be placed in the ballot box.

(2) The name and number on the register of electors of every elector whose vote is marked in pursuance of this paragraph and the reason why it is so marked shall be entered on a list (in this Schedule called " the list of votes marked by the presiding officer ").

21 (1) Where an elector who is accompanied by another person makes application to the presiding officer to be allowed on the ground of blindness to vote with the assistance of the person accompanying him (in this Schedule referred to as " the companion "), the presiding officer shall require the elector to declare orally whether he. is so incapacitated by his blindness as to be unable to vote without assistance.

(2) If the presiding officer is satisfied that the elector is so incapacitated and is also satisfied by a written declaration made by the companion (in this Schedule referred to as "the declaration made by the companion of a blind elector ") that the companion is a qualified person within the meaning of this paragraph and has not previously assisted more than one blind person to vote at the election then being held, the presiding officer shall grant the application, and thereupon anything which is by this Schedule required to be done to or by the said elector in connection with the giving of his vote may be done to, or with the assistance of, the companion, as the case may be.

(3) For the purposes of this paragraph, a person shall be qualified to assist a blind elector to vote if that person is either—

(a) a person who is entitled to vote at the election then being held; or

(b) the father, mother, brother, sister, husband, wife, son or daughter of the blind elector and has attained the age of twenty-one years.

(4) The name and number on the register of electors of every elector whose vote is given in accordance with this paragraph and the name and" address of the companion shall be entered on a list (in this Schedule called "the list of blind electors assisted by companions ").

22 (1) The declaration of inability to read and the declaration made by the companion of a blind elector—

(a) shall be in the appropriate form contained in Part V of this Schedule or in a form substantially to the like effect; and

(b) shall be made before the presiding officer at the time when the elector applies for a ballot paper or applies to vote with the assistance of the companion, as the case may be, and shall forthwith be handed to the presiding officer who shall attest and retain it.

(2) No fee, stamp or other payment shall be charged in respect of the declaration.