Blind, disabled, or illiterate voters

1 Any elector who is wholly or partially blind, or (whether because of physical handicap or otherwise) is unable to read or write or has severe difficulty in reading or writing, or is not sufficiently familiar with the English language to vote without assistance, may vote in accordance with the provisions of this section. 2 At the request of any such voter, any person nominated by the voter, or, if no person is so nominated, the issuing officer , shall accompany the voter into one of the inner compartments provided for the marking of ballot papers, and the ballot paper may there be marked by the voter with the assistance of the person nominated or, as the case may be, of the issuing officer , or may be marked by the person nominated or, as the case may be, by the issuing officer in accordance with the instructions of the voter. 3 A voter to whom subsection (2) applies, whether or not he or she nominates a person for the purposes of that subsection, may nominate a person or another person, as the case may require, to inspect the ballot paper before it is deposited in the ballot box. 4 Any elector voting as a special voter may vote in the manner prescribed by this section, with any necessary modifications, or in any manner prescribed by regulations made under this Act. 5 Every person commits an offence, and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000 , who, being a person who is present in accordance with this section or with any regulations when an elector votes, communicates at any time to any person any information obtained as to the constituency candidate or party for whom the voter is about to vote or has voted, or as to the number on the ballot paper given to the voter. 6 Regulations made under section 267 may make provision for electors who are wholly or partially blind to vote by means of devices that enable them to vote without assistance despite the fact that they are wholly or partially blind. 1956 No 107 s 108(1), (2), (4)–(7); 1981 No 120 s 33(1) Section 170(2) : amended , on 28 February 2002 , by section 101(1) of the Electoral Amendment Act 2002 (2002 No 1). Section 170(5) : amended , on 1 July 2013 , by section 413 of the Criminal Procedure Act 2011 (2011 No 81). Section 170(5) : amended , on 6 December 1995 , by section 48 of the Electoral Amendment Act (No 2) 1995 (1995 No 61).