Vanuatu

Table of Contents:

• Exclusion or Potential Exclusion Based on Disability
• Assistive Tools and Policies
• Candidacy or Holding Office

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Section 32 states:

Persons detained in a mental institution in accordance with the law shall not be entitled to vote whether or not their names may be on an electoral roll.

 

Section 37, subsection (8) states:

The returning officer shall regulate the number of voters to be admitted to a polling station at the same time and shall exclude all other persons except …

• (f) companions of disabled voters…

 

Excerpts from the Representation of the People Act (1982, amended 2006)

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Schedule 5, section 4, subsection (8) states:

The returning officer shall regulate the number of voters to be admitted to a polling station at the same time and shall exclude all other persons except …

• (f) companions of disabled voters…

 

Schedule 5, section 4, subsection (14) states:

Any person suffering from a physical disability may be granted permission by a returning officer to be accompanied into a polling station by a person of his choice to assist him in voting.

 

Section 51, subsection (4) states:

No person who has undertaken to assist–

• (a) a blind voter; or
• (b) a voter who is incapacitated from voting by other physical cause to vote, shall communicate at any time to any person any information as to the candidate for whom that voter intends to vote or has voted.

 

Section 52 states:

Any election officer having any duty to perform under this Act, who…

• (b) permits any person whom he knows or has reasonable cause to believe not to be a person who is blind or incapacitated from voting by other physical cause to vote in a manner provided for such persons; or
• (c) refuses to permit any person whom he knows or has reasonable cause to believe to be a person who is blind or incapacitated from voting by other physical cause to vote in a manner provided for such persons… commits an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding VT 60,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years or to both such fine and imprisonment.

 

Schedule 4, section 1 states:

(2) Any other person who is entitled to vote may only vote by proxy if he can demonstrate that by reason of–…(d) his presence outside his constituency because of –

• (i) the serious illness or death of a member of his family;
• (ii) his health;… he is unable to vote at the polling station where he is registered to vote…

(5) A person who is prevented from voting in person by reason of health or by reason of his presence outside his constituency because of his health shall accompany his application with a certificate by a recognised medical practitioner, nurse, dresser, or on the unavailability of any such persons, a person of standing certifying as to his inability to vote in person and the reason therefor…

(7) A person who is unable to vote by reason of his presence outside his constituency because of the serious illness or death of a member of his family shall accompany his application with a certificate signed by a person of standing in his community certifying that such person is related to the sick or deceased person and is unable to vote in person…

 

Schedule 5, section 14 states:

(1) Any person suffering from a physical disability may be granted permission by a returning officer to be accompanied into a polling station by a person of his choice to assist him in voting.

(2) The granting of permission under this rule shall be recorded in the report made by the returning officer under rule 19(2).

 

Excerpts from the Representation of the People Act (1982, amended 2006)

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Schedule 5, section 2, subsection (2) states:

The oldest polling clerk shall act as returning officer during the absence or incapacity of the returning officer.

 

Excerpt from the Representation of the People Act (1982, amended 2006)