Representation of the People (Extension of Voting Facilities) Bill

Part of Order of the Day – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 12 February 1965.

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Photo of Mr George Thomas Mr George Thomas , Cardiff West 12:00, 12 February 1965

Mr. Deputy-Speaker, my hon. Friend did me a favour, if not you, because he has brought into the net a welcome addition.

Before the Count we were considering the practical difficulties of the Bill. The hon. and gallant Member for Winchester wants to give genuine holiday makers the right to cast their votes by post, but the Bill does not seek to limit the grant of absent voting facilities to a person who will be away for specific reasons; it is enough for them to say that they expect to be away. That could make a mockery of our election laws.

Another point is that, from time to time, proposals come before the House to have election day on a Saturday, or that it should be declared a public holiday. If these proposals were accepted, one can well imagine that we could have half the country away, and the burden on the postal voting system would be such that even with the aid of the computer in Hampshire it would be difficult to undertake that work.

The hon. and gallant Member has tried his best, I know—without the help of the Home Office, may I say, in answer to the hon. Member for the Isle of Ely (Mr. Rees-Davies)—to limit the scope of the Bill, but the truth is that it is impracticable to draw the provisions in such a way that they would benefit only persons who have made bona fide arrangements to be away from home at the time of a General Election.

To prevent abuse, reliance would have to be placed solely on the possibility of proceedings being instituted against any person whose declaration was not made in good faith. The House knows what an enormous problem that would be—[HON. MEMBERS: "Oh."] Of course it would be, because we would have to spend our time proving that people were not acting in good faith. One does not have to be a barrister to realise what a difficult task that would be. The hon. and gallant Member really seeks to open the door so wide that anyone who wished it could choose to have the postal vote. That would change the whole approach to personal voting—