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Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
General Right to
Vote Constitution
(1979)
- Section 27, subsection (2) states, "Every Commonwealth citizen of the age of eighteen years or upwards who possesses such qualifications relating to residence or domicile in Saint Vincent as Parliament may prescribe shall, unless he is disqualified by Parliament from registration as a voter for the purpose of electing Representatives, be entitled to be registered as such a voter in accordance with the provisions of any law in that behalf, and no other person may be so registered. (b) Every person who is registered as aforesaid in any constituency shall, unless he is disqualified by Parliament from voting in that constituency in any election of Representatives, be entitled so to vote in accordance with the provisions of any law in that behalf, and no other person may so vote."
Exclusion Based on Mental Disability
Constitution
(1979)
- Section 26, subsection (1) states: "No person shall be qualified to be elected or appointed as a Representative or Senator...if he...(f) is a person certified to be insane or otherwise adjudged to be of unsound mind under any such law..."
Electoral Law
Representation of the People Act
(1982)
- Section 6 states: "A person is disqualified from being registered as a voter and shall not be so registered if he: (a) is a person found or declared to be a person of unsound mind or a patient in any establishment maintained wholly or mainly for the reception and treatment of persons suffering from mental illness or mental defectiveness by virtue of any enactment..."
- Section 35, subsection (1) states: "No person shall be qualified to be elected or appointed as a representative or senator...if he...(f) is a person certified to be insane or otherwise adjudged to be of unsound mind under any law..."
- Form 3 “Statutory Declaration of a Person Nominated for Election as a Member of The House of Assembly” includes the statement, “9. I am not a person certified to be insane or otherwise adjudged to be of unsound mind under any law.”
Exclusion Based on Physical Disability
Constitution
(1979)
- Section 25 states: "Subject to the provisions of section 26 of this Constitution, a person shall be qualified to be elected as a Representative if, and shall not be so qualified unless, he...(c) is able to speak and, unless incapacitated by blindness or other physical cause, to read the English language with sufficient proficiency to enable him to take an active part in the proceedings of the Senate."
Voter Assistance
Electoral Law
Representation of the People Act
(1982)
- Section 26 states, “The presiding officer shall regulate the number of voters to be admitted to the polling station at the same time and shall exclude all other persons except...(e) the companions of blind or incapacitated voters.”
- Section 32, subsection (1) states, “The presiding officer shall, on the application of- (a) a voter who is incapacitated by blindness or other physical cause from voting in a manner directed by these Rules, or (b) a voter who declares that he is unable to read; vote for the voter by marking on a ballot paper in the manner directed by the voter in the presence of the poll clerk and the agent of each candidate appointed for that polling station, and the ballot paper shall then be placed in the ballot box.”
- Section 33, subsection (1) states, “If a voter makes an application to the presiding officer to be allowed on the ground of blindness or other physical cause to vote with the assistance of another person by whom he is accompanied, in these Rules referred to as "the companion", the presiding officer shall require the voter to declare orally whether he is so incapacitated by his blindness or otherwise as to be unable to vote without assistance. “
- Section 33, subsection (2) states, “If the presiding officer is satisfied that the voter is so incapacitated, and is also satisfied by a written declaration made by the companion, in these Rules referred to as "the declaration made by the companion of a blind or incapacitated voter", that the companion is a qualified person within the meaning of this rule and has not previously assisted more than one blind or incapacitated person to vote at the election, the presiding officer shall grant the application, and thereupon anything which is by these Rules required to be done to, or by, the said voter in connection with the giving of his vote may be done to, or with assistance of, the companion. “
- Section 33, subsection (3) states, “For the purposes of this rule, a person shall be qualified to assist a blind or incapacitated voter to vote, if that person is either - (a) a person who is entitled to vote as a voter at the election; or (b) the father, mother, brother, sister, husband, wife, son or daughter of the blind of incapacitated voter and has attained the age of eighteen.”
- Section 33, subsection (4) states, “The name and number in the register of voters of the voter whose vote is given in accordance with this rule, and the name and address of the companion, shall be entered on a list in these Rules referred to as "the list of blind or incapacitated voters assisted by companion".
- Section 33, subsection (5) discussions the requirements of the companion’s declaration. This declaration is Form 12 of this law.
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