Singapore legislation
Section 56F
Section 56F
Adjournment, etc., of adding of counted votes
(1)
Despite any other provision of this Act, if at any time before or during the adding of all the counted votes in respect of an election in an electoral division, it appears to the Returning Officer that, in relation to the electoral division, the adding of those votes at the principal counting place for the electoral division is likely to be obstructed, disrupted, undermined or seriously affected because of —
riot or open violence;
the threat of riot or open violence;
storm, tempest, flood or an occurrence of a similar kind;
a health hazard;
a fire or the activation of fire safety equipment (such as sprinklers or alarms); or
any other reason related to the safety of assistants, clerks adding the votes and candidates or their election agents present in the principal counting place, or to difficulties in the physical conduct of adding the counted votes,which has arisen or is likely to arise before or during the addition of votes at the principal counting place for that electoral division, the Returning Officer may —
temporarily suspend the addition of votes at the principal counting place for a period or, where the addition of votes at the principal counting place is temporarily suspended under subsection (1A), a further period not exceeding 2 hours, with or without changing the location of the principal counting place; or
adjourn and postpone the addition of votes at the principal counting place to another day, with or without changing the location of the principal counting place.
(1A)
Before making a decision under paragraph (g) or (h) of subsection (1), the Returning Officer may temporarily suspend the addition of votes at the principal counting place mentioned in that subsection for a period not exceeding 2 hours for the purpose of determining the decision to be made under either of those paragraphs.
(2)
In exercising any power under subsection (1), the Returning Officer must —
announce to such of the candidates and their election agents attending the addition of the votes at the principal counting place concerned, the temporary suspension, adjournment or postponement (as the case may be) of addition of votes at the principal counting place and where applicable, the date and time on and at which addition of votes at the principal counting place is to resume or to be held in place of the suspended, adjourned or postponed addition of votes, as the case may be; and
by notice in the Gazette declare the temporary suspension, adjournment or postponement (as the case may be) of the addition of the votes at the principal counting place concerned and where applicable, specify the date and time on and at which addition of votes at that principal counting place is to resume or to be held in place of the suspended, adjourned or postponed addition of votes, as the case may be.
(3)
If, in exercising any power under subsection (1), the Returning Officer changes the location of any principal counting place, the announcement and notice given under subsection (2) must also contain the address of the relocated principal counting place.
(4)
Any temporary suspension, adjournment or postponement (as the case may be) of the addition of votes at any principal counting place pursuant to the exercise of any power under subsection (1), and the resumption of the addition of votes or the addition of votes in place of the suspended, adjourned or postponed addition, must be carried out in the prescribed manner.