Referendum (Amendment) Act, 1959

Constitutional referendum in relation to Third Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 1958.

5.—At a constitutional referendum in relation to the Third Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 1958—

(a) a polling card sent under subsection (1) of section 4 of the Referendum (Amendment) Act, 1946 , shall contain the statement set out in the Appendix to this section,

(b) a polling card shall also be sent by the local returning officer for a constituency to every elector whose name is on the register of Dáil electors for such constituency and is on the postal voters' list for such constituency,

(c) a polling card sent under paragraph (b) of this section—

(i) shall indicate that it is for a postal voter and shall accordingly not state the number and situation of polling place referred to in subsection (1) of the said section 4,

(ii) shall contain the statement referred to in paragraph (a) of this section, and

(iii) shall be sent by post to the elector at the same time as his ballot paper is sent, being addressed to him at the same address as is stated on the envelope in which the ballot paper is sent,

(d) subsections (3) to (6) of the said section 4 shall apply in relation to polling cards sent under paragraph (b) of this section,

(e) copies of the statement referred to in paragraph (a) of this section may be displayed in or in the precincts of polling stations,

(f) notwithstanding section 2 of this Act and subparagraph (ii) of paragraph 2 of the Second Schedule thereto, in applying paragraph (3) of rule 18 of the rules contained in the First Schedule to the Referendum Act, 1942

(I) the following subparagraph shall be substituted for subparagraph (a) of that paragraph:

“(a) the presiding officer shall read out to the voter the short title of the Bill containing the proposal to amend the Constitution as stated on the ballot paper and then ask the voter, ‘Do you approve of or do you object to that Bill becoming law ?’;”

(II) the following subparagraph shall be substituted for subparagraph (c) of that paragraph:

“(c) where the voter fails to understand the import of the said question, the presiding officer—

(i) shall read out to the voter such summary of the proposal which is the subject of the referendum as is contained in the statement set out in the Appendix to section 5 of the Referendum (Amendment) Act, 1959,

(ii) shall then ask the voter ‘Which do you wish to do—to vote in favour of the proposal? or to vote against the proposal?’, and

(iii) shall then mark the ballot paper in accordance with the answer of the voter;”

APPENDIX

The following Summary of the principal proposals in the Third Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 1958, is circulated for the information of voters:

At present, members of Dáil Éireann are elected on a system of proportional representation for constituencies returning at least three members, each voter having a single transferable vote.

It is proposed in the Bill to abolish the system of proportional representation and to adopt, instead, a system of single-member constituencies, each voter having a single non-transferable vote.

It is also proposed in the Bill to set up a Commission for the determination and revision of the constituencies, instead of having this done by the Oireachtas, as at present.

If you APPROVE of the proposals in the Bill, place an X opposite the word YES on the Ballot Paper.

If you DO NOT APPROVE of the proposals in the Bill, place an X opposite the word NO on the Ballot Paper.

A copy of the full text of the Bill can be inspected and purchased at all Post Offices throughout the country.