Seanad Electoral (Panel Members) Act, 1947
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Procedure at a nomination committee (general election) meeting. |
34.—(1) The following provisions shall have effect in relation to every nomination committee (general election) meeting:— | |
(a) the Seanad returning officer shall preside at the meeting and shall conduct the proceedings thereof; | ||
(b) the proceedings shall commence at the time appointed for the meeting by the relevant Seanad general election order if there is then a quorum or, if there is not then a quorum, when there is a quorum; | ||
(c) the Seanad returning officer and his assistants and the persons named in the electoral roll constituted for the meeting under section 33 of this Act, and no other person, may be present at the meeting; | ||
(d) each member of the nomination committee attending the meeting shall, when or as soon as may be after he enters the meeting, sign his name in a book or other record (to be provided and kept by the Seanad returning officer) of attendances; | ||
(e) a poll shall be held for the purpose of selecting, from the persons included in the nominating bodies list in respect of the relevant panel, the appropriate number of persons to be included in the provisional nominating bodies sub-panel in respect of that panel; | ||
(f) for the purposes of the poll, the Seanad returning officer shall make available such ballot boxes, desks, and other furniture as he considers necessary and also provide a sufficient number of ballot papers; | ||
(g) the Seanad returning officer shall close the poll at the expiration of two hours from the time at which it was opened; | ||
(h) a person shall not be entitled to receive a ballot paper unless or until he has signed his name under paragraph (d) of this subsection; | ||
(i) a person in giving his vote must place on the ballot paper the figure 1 opposite the name of the person for whom he votes, and he may in addition place on the ballot paper the figures 2 and 3, or 2, 3 and 4, and so on opposite the names of other persons in the order of his preference. | ||
(j) any ballot paper— | ||
(i) in which the figure 1 standing alone is not placed at all or is not so placed as to indicate a first preference, or | ||
(ii) on which the figure 1 standing alone indicating a first preference is set opposite more than one name, or | ||
(iii) on which the figure 1 standing alone indicating a first preference and some other number is set opposite a name, | ||
shall be invalid and shall not be counted; | ||
(k) the Seanad returning officer shall take all such steps as he considers proper or expedient for preserving the secrecy of the voting at the poll; | ||
(l) every question which arises at or in relation to the taking of the poll shall be decided by the Seanad returning officer and his decision on any such question shall be final and unappealable; | ||
(m) at the close of the poll, the Seanad returning officer shall ascertain, in accordance with this Act and, in particular, the rules contained in the Second Schedule to this Act, the result of the poll and shall announce such result to the candidates then present (if any); | ||
(n) the Seanad returning officer and his assistants and the candidates (or their duly appointed representatives), and no other person, shall be entitled to be present at the ascertainment of the result of the poll. | ||
(2) In subsection (1) of this section, the expression “the appropriate number” means:— | ||
(a) in the case of the cultural and educational panel—six, | ||
(b) in the case of the agricultural panel or the labour panel—fourteen, | ||
(c) in the case of the industrial and commercial panel—twelve, | ||
(d) in the case of the administrative panel—eight. |