Electoral Act, 1923

Infringement of secrecy.

28.—(1) Every officer, clerk and agent in attendance at a polling station shall maintain, and aid in maintaining, the secrecy of the voting in such station, and shall not communicate, except for some purpose authorised by law, before the poll is closed to any person any information as to the name or number on the register of electors of any elector who has or has not applied for a ballot paper or voted at that station, or as to the official mark, and no such officer, clerk or agent, and no person whosoever, shall interfere with or attempt to interfere with a voter when marking his vote, or otherwise attempt to obtain in the polling station information as to the candidate for whom any voter in such station is about to vote or has voted, or communicate at any time to any person any information obtained in a polling station as to the candidate for whom any voter in such station is about to vote or has voted, or as to the number on the back of the ballot paper given to any voter at such station.

(2) Every officer, clerk and agent in attendance at the counting of the votes shall maintain and aid in maintaining the secrecy of the voting, and shall not attempt to ascertain at such counting the number on the back of any ballot paper, or communicate any information obtained at such counting as to the candidate for whom any vote is given in any particular ballot paper.

(3) Every officer, clerk and agent concerned in the issue of ballot papers to postal voters and the receipt of ballot papers from postal voters shall maintain, and aid in maintaining, the secrecy of the voting by such voters, and shall not communicate, except for some purpose authorised by law, before the poll is closed to any person any information as to the name or number on the register of electors of any postal voter to or from whom any ballot paper has been sent or received, or as to the official mark, and no such officer, clerk or agent, and no person whosoever shall interfere with, or attempt to interfere with, the receipt, marking or return of his ballot paper by any postal voter, or attempt to obtain information as to the candidate for whom any such voter has voted, or communicate at any time to any person any information obtained in connection with the issue or receipt of ballot papers to or from postal voters as to the candidates for whom any such voter has voted, or as to the number on the back of the ballot paper sent to any such voter.

(4) No person shall directly or indirectly induce any voter to display his ballot paper after he shall have marked the same so as to make known to any person the name of the candidate for or against whom he has marked his vote.

(5) Every person who acts in contravention of the provisions of this section shall be liable, on summary conviction before two justices of the peace or any magistrate having the powers or jurisdiction formerly exercisable by two justices of the peace, to imprisonment for any term not exceeding six months, with or without hard labour.