19

52. There is no evidence of corrupt practices; but the pressure put
upon an elector by his creditor or landlord is often considerable. The
effect may be either positive and result in a vote being cast in favour of a
candidate who would not have been selected by the voter of his own free
choice; or it may be negative and result in a voter failing to appear to
record a vote which he has promised. With an electorate not greatly
imbued with political eathusiasm the simplest solution of conflicting and
irreconcilable interests is obviously to adopt a negative attitude and vote
for neither.

53. Votes polled.—The statement already referred to (Appendix II)
shows the number and percentage ofthe electorate that voted at each elec-
tion. The results may be summarized as follows: —

Number of constituencies.
Percentage of votes polled.

1920.
1923.
1926.

Central Provinces Non-Muhammadan Urban Central Provinces Non-Muhammadan Rural
Central Provinces Muhammadan Rural Berar Non-Muhammadan Urban Berar Non-Muhammadan Rural Berar Muhammadan Rural and Urban
21 (22 in 1926) 4 2 10 3
14-0 7-8
6-5 3-6 7-0
40-7 55-7
57-2 56-9 38-5 60-0
66-9 52-6
46-2 67-3 62-2 33-6

The figures taken as a whole show a progressive evolution of interest in
the Legislative Council. If in some constituencies such as the Central Prov-
inces rural, the poll has decreased, it may, in most cases, be ascribed to
something lacking in the personal appeal and organization of the candidate
rather than to the relapse of the electorate to apathy. In 1920, voters
were not only deterred by the propaganda of the non-co-operators, but were
even intimidated. " In 1923, on the other hand, many were brought to the
poll'by promises of a millenium, which included the abolition of taxation,
and which they were sufficiently unsophisticated to accept as a fact cer-
tain of accomplishment rather than an empty aspiration. It is, therefore,
not impossible that disillusion may have been a factor in the drop in the
number of votes polled in some constituencies.

54. Special arrangements, e.g., for illiterate voters.—Illiterate voters
in general constituencies are provided for by the almost fool-proof device
of coloured ballot boxes. The voter is only required to remember the
colour of the candidate for whom he votes and drop a paper with which he
is provided into the box of that colour. In the earlier elections, before the
colour system was evolved, voters were commonly given slips of paper bear-
ing the name of the candidate to whom they had promised their votes and,
in spite of all advice to the contrary, insisted on placing these slips, or even
sometimes printed handbills of their candidate, in the ballot box and bear-
ing off their voting papers as receipts #>r the due performance of their duty.
For blind voters the Presiding Officer places the voting paper in the box.
He also attempts to guide voters who cannot identify colours by their
names. No evidence of misplacement of votes through colour-blindness
is recorded; but of the colours, which the colour-blind usually mistake,
green is not usually used as it is the Muhammadan colour and might pre-
judice opinion. In the first elections another error that was committed
was that voters came to vote for the Legislative Council election on the
day fixed for elections to the Legislative Assembly. Nowadays it is only
the voter who combines extreme obstinacy or carelessness with illiteracy
who can fail to vote, or record a vote for the wrong candidate. In the only
plural constituency, Nagpur-ctwn-Kamptee, there is more scope for error.
It has to be explained by the Presiding Officer to the voter that he must
not put two voting papers into one box, and that he is not bound to use more
than one paper. * A person is placed beside the ballot boxes to ensure that
no error is committed. This destroys the i secrecy of the ballot, but no
mechanical method, which would avoid this objection, has yet been
•evolved.