Electoral Act, 1963

Amendment of Rules 22A, 23 and 24 of First Schedule to Principal Act.

60.—The following Rules are hereby substituted for Rules 22A, 23 and 24 of the First Schedule to the Principal Act:

Place for opening of ballot boxes, etc,

“22A. (1) The local returning officer for a constituency—

(a) shall appoint the place at which he will open the ballot boxes,

(b) shall open the ballot boxes at the place so appointed,

(c) shall, at least forty-eight hours before the hour of 9 a.m. on the day next after the close of the poll, give to every local agent of a candidate notice in writing of the place so appointed,

(d) shall give every local agent of a candidate and every agent appointed under Rule 24 of this Schedule all such reasonable facilities for overseeing the proceedings at the count (including, in particular, facilities for satisfying themselves that the ballot papers are correctly sorted), and all such information with respect thereto, as he can give them consistently with the orderly conduct of the proceedings and the performance of his functions,

(e) shall provide suitable accommodation and all equipment necessary for counting the votes.

(2) The place appointed under subparagraph (a) of the foregoing paragraph shall be within the constituency, but—

(a) in case the constituency consists of a part which is part of a county borough and a part which is outside that borough, it may be—

(i) within the other part of that borough, or

(ii) with the consent of the Minister, outside that borough and outside, but convenient to, the constituency, and

(b) in any other case, it may be, with the consent of the Minister, outside, but convenient to, the constituency.

Opening of ballot boxes.

23. At the hour of 9 a.m. on the day next after the close of the poll in a constituency and at the place appointed by him under Rule 22A of this Schedule, the local returning officer for that constituency shall begin to open the ballot boxes used at the poll in that constituency, take out the ballot papers therein, count and record the numbers thereof, and then mix them together.

Candidates' agents at opening of ballot boxes.

24. Every local agent of a candidate may appoint agents to attend on behalf of such candidate the opening of the ballot boxes in his constituency by the local returning officer and the proceedings consequent on such opening. Not more than five agents shall be appointed by a particular local agent unless the local returning officer otherwise permits.”