Electoral Act, 1963

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Amendment of section 28 (2) of and Rule 11 of Third Schedule to Principal Act.

53.—(1) Subsection (2) of section 28 of the Principal Act is hereby amended by the addition at the end of the subsection of “but the ballot paper shall not be invalid by reference only to carrying the words ‘one’, ‘two’, ‘three’ (and so on) or a mark such as ‘X’ which, in the opinion of the local returning officer, clearly indicates a preference or preferences.”

(2) Rule 11 of the Third Schedule to the Principal Act is hereby amended by the substitution of the following definitions for the definitions of “first preference”, “second preference” and “the next available preference”:

“the expression ‘first preference’ means the figure ‘1’, the word ‘one’ or a mark such as ‘X’ which, in the opinion of the local returning officer, clearly indicates a first preference; the expression ‘second preference’ means the figure ‘2’, the word ‘two’ or a mark which, in the opinion of the local returning officer, clearly indicates a second preference, standing in succession to a first preference; the expression ‘the next available preference’ means a preference which, in the opinion of the returning officer, is a second or subsequent preference recorded in consecutive order for a continuing candidate, preferences for candidates already excluded being ignored;”