CAN A VOTER WEAR A PARTY SYMBOL TO GO AND VOTE?

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QUESTION OF THE DAY

CAN A VOTER WEAR A PARTY SYMBOL TO GO AND VOTE?

The answer to this is in the negative. Section 70 of the Elections Act does not permit the wearing of any party symbol or any symbol of a candidate in the vicinity of a polling station; and the presiding officer has power to remove that person from the area.

The same section prohibits many other activities on polling day, that is, 6 April. It reads:

“On any day on which  polling  is to take  place  in an electoral  division  the following shall  be prohibited  in that Area-

  1. the holding of a public meeting, procession or demonstration;
  2. the making of any speech  or announcement in a public place;

(c ) the use of any loudspeaker, loud hailer or other  instrument of public address;

( d) drumming or singing  in a public place;

(e ) the display  in any public place of a flag, banner or slogan;

(f)    canvassmg;

(g) the ringing of a bell or the making  of any sound  resembling that of a bell within the radius of five hundred  metres of a polling station;

(h) the riding  or parking  of a bicycle  within  the  radius of five  hundred metres of a polling station;

(i)    the selling or distribution of alcoholic drinks;

(j)    arriving  at a polling station  in a state of inebriation;

(k)  forming  groups  around  polling  stations, except  joining  a queue  to cast a ballot;

(l) entering a polling station armed; and

(l)    carrying out any other activity  tending to block or disturb  the normal voting process.”