Singapore legislation
Section 56DB
Section 56DB
Ballot box lost or destroyed after close of poll at overseas polling station
(1)
The Returning Officer must wholly abandon the counting of all the votes cast at an overseas polling station (called in this section the affected overseas polling station) at an election in an electoral division (called in this section the affected electoral division) if any sealed ballot box containing votes cast at the affected overseas polling station at the election is lost or destroyed at any time —
after the close of the poll at the affected overseas polling station; and
before the ballot box could reach the counting place specified under this Act for the counting of the votes cast at the affected overseas polling station.
(2)
The Returning Officer must restart (within 3 months after the dissolution of Parliament in the case of a general election) the polling at the affected overseas polling station for the election in the affected electoral division if the Returning Officer is satisfied that any of the following is equal to or more than the difference between the number of votes given in Singapore at the election in the affected electoral division to the candidates or (as the case may be) groups of candidates with the 2 greatest number of votes:
in the case where a sealed ballot box containing votes cast at a polling station in Singapore at the election in the affected electoral division is also lost or destroyed and section 56DA(2) applies in respect of that polling station — the aggregate mentioned in that section;
in any other case — the total number of overseas electors lawfully entitled to vote at the election in the affected electoral division.
(3)
The Returning Officer must, as soon as practicable, inform the candidates or (as the case may be) groups of candidates for the affected electoral division of the abandonment of the counting of votes cast at the affected overseas polling station and whether the polling at the affected overseas polling station for the election in the affected electoral division must restart.
(4)
Where the polling at the affected overseas polling station for the affected electoral division must restart, the counting of the votes cast at all other overseas polling stations for the affected electoral division, and the overseas polling stations for every related electoral division, stands postponed to the date specified by the Returning Officer under subsection (5)(b)(ii).
(5)
The Returning Officer must, as soon as practicable, publish a notice in the Gazette —
stating that the Returning Officer has abandoned the counting of all the votes cast at the affected overseas polling station; and
where subsection (2) applies, specifying —
the date on which the polling is to restart, the hours of the poll and the location of the overseas polling station (whether or not at the same location as the affected overseas polling station) where the poll will be conducted; and
the date on, the time at and the counting place in Singapore at which the votes cast during the restarted poll and the votes mentioned in subsection (4) will be counted.
(6)
Any restart of polling in an election or other change under this section is valid and sufficient, and any polling day, polling hours or overseas polling station specified by the Returning Officer under this section is deemed to be the polling day, polling hours or overseas polling station (as the case may be) specified in the notice published under section 34(6) or (as the case may be) 34A(6) for that election.
(7)
Nothing in this section restricts the exercise of any power under section 50C(3).
(8)
The Minister may prescribe the manner in which any abandonment of the counting of votes, restart of polling or counting of votes under this section is to be carried out.
(9)
In this section, “related electoral division”, in relation to an affected electoral division, means —
in the case of a general election, an electoral division (other than the affected electoral division) in the general election; or
in the case of a by-election, an electoral division for which a by‑election is held at the same time as the by‑election for the affected electoral division.