This is a web page preview of a Microsoft Word document from the Bedford Liberal Democrats site. It is generated by a computer and is not manually edited. Formatting and content may be displayed differently to the original document, and should not be regarded as definitive.
Postal & Proxy votes
A code of conduct for Liberal Democrat Councillors & Campaigners
The guarantee of a free democracy lies in the ability of an elector to cast their vote freely according to their beliefs and conscience. Their vote should be cast without hindrance or coercion if the election is to truly represent the will of the people
The ability to cast a vote in secret is an essential part of ensuring that voting is undertaken without hindrance or coercion. Only when there are safeguards to ensure the secrecy of the ballot, can you be certain that votes have been cast in a truly free and fair manner.
Liberal Democrats believe that the free exercise of the franchise is an essential part of our system of democracy.
Postal and proxy voting can play an important part in allowing the maximum number of people to play their part in the electoral process but - as recent elections have shown - such processes do carry with them dangers that the system can be misused.
A high level of participation in the electoral process, though desirable, is not by itself a guarantee of a free democracy. Elections in Iraq and Soviet Russia have regularly recorded high turnouts.
To this end Liberal Democrat candidates and campaigners will act to uphold these key principles
That voters - whether voting in person, by post or by proxy - are able to freely cast their vote for the candidate they believe to be best, without undue influence being made over their choice.
That voters - whether voting in person, by post or by proxy - are able to cast their vote in secret and unobserved. To this end, Liberal Democrat candidates and campaigners will abide by the following code of conduct:
Liberal Democrat candidates and campaigners will:
Encourage the maximum number of people to participate in the electoral process - including the promotion of postal and proxy votes where appropriate. The emphasis should be on encouraging people to vote via the polling station.
Ensure to the best of their abilities that postal voters:
Are able to cast their votes in accordance with their own personal views as to who is the best candidate to support.
That people voting by post are able to cast their votes with the same degree of secrecy as they would in a polling station.
Ensure to the best of their abilities that proxy voters cast their votes in accordance with the likely wishes of the voter con cerned.
Liberal Democrat candidates and campaigners may if asked, act as a witness to a declaration of identity but shall under no circumstances attempt to discover how an individual has voted.
Liberal Democrat candidates and campaigners shall not proactively collect ballot papers from electors who are voting by post (even if they are in sealed envelopes).
Liberal Democrat candidates and campaigners shall not encourage others to proactively collect ballot papers from electors who are voting by post.
However, Liberal Democrat candidates and campaigners may post or return a sealed ballot paper envelope if an individual elector requests them to do so. (Where possible Liberal Democrat candidates and campaigners should encourage people voting by post to return postal ballots themselves).
Liberal Democrat candidates and campaigners should only accept sealed envelopes. Under no circumstances should a Liberal Democrat candidate or campaigner accept an unsealed, partially completed, or uncompleted ballot paper from an elector.
If a Liberal Democrat candidate or campaigner takes a completed and sealed ballot paper envelope to post or return then they should regard themselves as under a duty to do so - regardless of how they believe the person concerned is intending to vote. Ballot papers should be posted (or returned to a station for the receipt of ballot papers) as soon as practically possible. (A Liberal Democrat candidate or campaigner may of course refuse to take and post a sealed ballot paper envelope if they are requested to do so).
Liberal Democrat candidates shall ensure that to the best of their abilities members of their campaign team and local residents abide by the guide- lines and principles in this document.
Agreement to the terms of this code of conduct shall be regarded as a condition of approval to stand for election for the Liberal Democrats.
I agree to abide by the code of conduct set out above
Signed: ________________________________
Print name: ________________________________
Date: ________________________________