Directions to Voters, Ireland, 1919
"Vote by placing the figure 1 in the square opposite the name of the candidate for whom you vote. You may also place the figure 2, or the figures 2 and 3, or 2, 3, and 4, and so on, in the squares opposite the names of other candidates in the order of your preference for them." (p. 43)
Form of Directions for the Guidance of the Voter In Voting, which shall be printed in conspicuous characters and placarded outside every Polling Station and in every compartment of a Polling Station.
Directions for the Guidance of the Voter In Voting
The voter will go into one of the compartments, and, with the pencil provided there, mark his ballot paper by writing the number 1 opposite the name of the candidate for whom he votes. He may also write the figures 2, 3, and so on, in accordance with the order of his choice or preference opposite the names of other candidates (that is to say): —
He must write 1 in the square space opposite to the name of the candidate for whom he votes. He may also write 2 in the square space opposite to the name of the candidate he likes second best, and 3 in the square space opposite to the name of the candidate he likes third best. And so on.
If the voter does not mark the figure 1 on his ballot paper, or marks the figure 1 opposite more than one name, or marks the figure 1 and some other figure opposite the same name, or places any mark on the paper by which he may be identified, his ballot paper will be invalid and will not be counted.
After marking the ballot paper, the voter will fold up the ballot paper so as to show the official mark on the back, and leaving the compartment, without showing the front of the paper to any person, show the official mark on the back to the presiding officer, and then in the presence of the presiding officer put the paper into the ballot box, and forthwith quit the polling station.
If the voter inadvertently spoils a ballot paper, he can return it to the officer, who will, if satisfied of such inadvertence, give him another paper.
If the voter takes the ballot paper out of the polling station or deposits in the ballot box any other paper than the one given him by the officer, he will be guilty of a misdemeanour and be subject to imprisonment for any term not exceeding six months, with or without hard labour.
Note. — These directions shall be illustrated by examples of valid ballot papers,...
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On the District Magnitude:
... It may be also noted that the number of members assigned to any local electoral area shall not be more than nine, or less than three...
[Ten seats in a single district was the most ever used in historical Canadian elections, in Winnipeg for election of MLAs 1920 to 1945 and in some city elections where councillors were elected at-large. This number was not surpassed in any STV election until New South Wales upper house adopted STV in 1978, electing 15 state-wide. then surpassed again in 1995 when NSW upper house began to elect 21 in a contest.]
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In the introduction to 1919 pamphlet Proportional Representation - explained & illustrated, it says STV was already in use in Tasmania, Australia and British Columbia and is proposed in South Africa.
This is reference to municipal application of STV. I think Johannesburg did use STV in city elections. BC never did use STV at the provincial level. By 1919 several BC cities were using STV for their city elections. Alberta should also have been mentioned, as the first city in Canada to use STV was Calgary in 1917.
(From Proportional Representation - explained & illustrated; application to local government elections. Ireland, 1919. CIHM online)
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