Page:Representation of the Peoples Act 1918 (ukpga 19180064).pdf/51

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1918
Representation of the People Act, 1918.
Ch. 64.
303

if the voting paper or the right to vote is allowed, shall be final, but, if the voting paper or the right to vote is disallowed, shall be subject to reversal on any proceeding questioning the election or return.

18. The register kept in pursance of this Act shall be conclusive as to the right of any person to vote at the poll; but this provision shall not entitle any person to vote if that person is subject to any legal incapacity.

A person shall not he entitled to be placed on the register as a graduate until the university authorities are satisfied that the grant of the degree is complete.

Counting of Votes.

19. After the poll is closed all voting papers received at any polling place and a record of votes (if any) given by electors in person shall be placed in a proper receptacle and sealed up and delivered to the returning officer, and the returning officer shall, as soon as practicable after the receipt of the votes from all the polling places, count the votes and publish the result.

20. The voting papers connted, and the record of votes (if any) given by electors in person, and any papers which have been rejected as invalid and list of persons (if any) who have tendered their votes in person but who have not been allowed to vote, shall be placed in separate packets, and shall be kept by the returning officer for a period of twelve months after the close of the poll.

21. The returning officer shall give notice to the candidates of the time and place for counting the votes, and shall permit any candidate and representative authorised by the candidate for the purpose to be present at the count.

No person other than the returning officer, his assistants and clerks, and the candidates and representatives so authorised shall be entitled to be present at the count except with the sanction of the returning officer.

22. Where an equality of votes is found to exist between any candidates on a final count and the addition of a vote would entitle any of those candidates to be declared elected, the returning officer whether all elector or not may give a deciding vote, but the returning officer shall not be entitled to vote at the election in any other case.

Special Provisions for a Combined Ulniversity Constituency.

23. In a combined university constituency the Vice-Chancellor, or the person performing the duties of a Vice-Chancellor, at each university forming the combination, shall, for the purpose of making arrangements for the poll and the holding of the poll, have at the university the powers and perform the duties of the returning officer (including the power and duty of deciding upon the validity of voting papers and the right of a person to vote ).

24. Arrangements may be made for counting votes at an election for a combined university constituency at each of the Universities forming the combination, if the transferable vote is not used at that election, and for a record of the votes counted at each university being sent to the returning officer for the combined constituency in order that he may ascertain and declare the result of the election.