9. The Returning Officer shall forthwith give to every candidate whose name has not been expunged from the list written notice of the result of the election, and shall furnish the Council with a list of the persons certified by him to have been duly elected, showing the number of votes cast for each of such persons.
10. The Returning Officer, and every officer, clerk , or servant employed in connection with the election shall maintain, and aid in maintaining the secrecy of the ballot, and shall not communicate to any person any information as to the manner in which any elector has recorded her vote.
11.—(1) Any candidate unsuccessful at the poll may either personally or by her agent appointed in writing notify the Returning Officer within 14 days after the declaration of the result of the election that she contests the validity of that part of the election in respect of which she was unsuccessful on the ground of non-compliance with the provisions of this Scheme, or of any misdescription or miscount, or of the non-delivery, loss or miscarriage of any document.
(2) If after consideration of the contention disclosed in the notice, the Returning Officer is satisfied in respect of that part that the election was conducted substantially in accordance with the provisions of this Scheme and that any non-compliance, misdescription, miscount, non-delivery, loss or miscarriage did not affect the result of that part of the election, he may, within 14 days of receiving such notice, so certify. In that event he shall forward copy of his certificate to the unsuccessful candidate, who may within 7 days of receiving such copy, appeal to the Minister of Health.
(3) Where the Returning Officer does not so certify, he shall not later than the 15th day after receiving the notice forward a copy thereof to the Minister of Health together with such comments as he shall think fit.
(4) The Minister shall consider any appeal made under sub-paragraph (2) or any notice received under sub-paragraph (3) hereof and his decision as to whether the result of the relevant part of the election was affected by any non-compliance, misdescription, miscount, non-delivery, loss or miscarriage, shall be final. In the event of the Minister deciding that the result of the relevant part of the election was so affected, a fresh election in respect of the seat in that part of the election shall take place.
APPENDIX
Form A (Notice of election)
Nurses Acts 1957 and 1961
Notice is hereby given that pursuant to the Nurses Acts 1957 and 1961 an election of 18 members of the General Nursing Council for England and Wales, to represent the nurses registered upon the Register of that Council, is about to be held.
The following table shows the numbers and qualifications of the persons to be elected, and the qualifications of the persons entitled to nominate and take part in the election of each class of candidate.
