General Right to Vote
Constitution:
(1979)
Section 33, subsection (2) states, "(a) Every Commonwealth citizen
of the prescribed age who possesses such qualifications relating to residence
or domicile in Saint Lucia as Parliament may prescribe shall, unless he is disqualified
by Parliament from registration as a voter for the purpose of electing members
of the House, 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 member so the House, 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 appointed as a Senator if at the date of his appointment, he
(d)
is a person certified to be insane or otherwise adjudged to be of unsound mind
under any such law
"
Section 32, subsection (1) states: "A person shall not be qualified
to be elected as a member of the House
if he
(d) is a person certified
to be insane or otherwise adjudged to be of unsound mind under any such law
"
Electoral Law:
(1979)
Section 13 states: "A person is disqualified from being registered
as an elector who (a) is a person certified to be insane or otherwise adjudged
to be of unsound mind under any enactment in force in Saint Lucia
"
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 appointed as a Senator 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."
Section 31 states: "Subject to the provisions of section 32 of this
Constitution, a person shall be qualified to be appointed as a member of the
House 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 House."
Voter Assistance by Other
Citizens
Electoral Law:
(1979)
Section 60, subsection (3) states: "The presiding officer, on the
application of any elector who is incapacitated, from any physical cause other
than blindness, from voting in the manner prescribed by this Act, shall require
the elector making such application to make oath in Form No. 17
of his
incapacity to vote without assistance, and shall thereafter assist such elector
by marking his ballot paper in the manner directed by such elector in the presence
of the poll clerk and of the sworn agents of the candidates and of no other
person, and shall place such ballot in the ballot box."
Section 60, subsection (4) states: "The presiding officer shall
either deal with a blind elector in the same manner as with an otherwise incapacitated
elector, or, at the request of any blind elector who has taken the oath in Form
No. 18
and is accompanied by a friend who is a elector in the polling division,
shall permit such friend to accompany the blind elector into the voting compartment
and mark the elector's ballot paper for him. No person shall at any election
be allowed to act as such friend to more than one blind elector."
Section 60, subsection (5) states that any friend who marks the ballot
paper for a blind voter is first required to fill out Form No. 19.
Section 60, subsection (6) states "whenever any elector has had
his ballot paper marked as provided in subsection (3) or (4), the poll clerk
shall enter into the poll book opposite the elector's name
the reason why
such ballot paper was so marked."