Seanad Electoral (University Members) Act, 1937

Receipt of nomination papers by the returning officer.

18.—(1) Every nomination paper shall be delivered to the returning officer by the candidate thereby nominated or by the person named therein as proposer or as seconder and shall be so delivered after the publication of the notice published in pursuance of the next preceding section of this Act and before twelve o'clock noon on the last day for receiving nominations and, if so delivered before ten o'clock in the forenoon on that day, shall be retained by the returning officer until the last-mentioned hour.

(2) On the last day for receiving nominations the returning officer shall attend at the place mentioned in that behalf in the said notice published in pursuance of the next preceding section of this Act during the whole of the period from ten o'clock in the forenoon until twelve o'clock noon to receive nominations, and shall, at the beginning of such period, produce all nomination papers previously received by him and shall, during the remainder of such period, receive any other nomination papers tendered to him.

(3) All objections to a nomination paper shall be made to the returning officer at the said place and during the said period for receiving nominations and shall be considered and ruled upon by the returning officer during or as soon as conveniently may be after the said period but not later than one o'clock in the afternoon on the last day for receiving nominations.

(4) If at one o'clock in the afternoon on the last day for receiving nominations no more candidates stand nominated than there are vacancies to be filled, the returning officer shall forthwith declare the candidates who so stand nominated to be elected and return their names to the Clerk of Dáil Eireann and (except in the case of the first Seanad general election) to the Clerk of Seanad Eireann.

(5) In the case of the first Seanad general election, a copy of the return required by the next preceding sub-section of this section to be made to the Clerk of Dáil Eireann shall be sent by the returning officer to the Clerk of Seanad Eireann as soon as may be after such Clerk has been appointed.

(6) If at one o'clock in the afternoon on the last day for receiving nominations more candidates stand nominated than thereare vacancies to be filled, the returning officer shall adjourn the election and take a poll in accordance with this Act.

(7) The ruling of the returning officer on an objection to a nomination paper or on any other question arising in relation to the nomination of the candidates shall be final and shall not he open to review by any Court.

(8) Every candidate nominated by a nomination paper and his proposer and seconder and one other person nominated by him and no other persons (except assistants employed by the returning officer) shall be entitled to attend the proceedings during the receipt of and ruling upon the nomination papers.