Clause 27

The Superintendent may, at his discretion, allow the political parties represented in the Legislative Assembly to appoint agents, hereinafter in this Ordinance referred to as “counting agents”, to attend at the counting of the votes at the counting centres. Written notice of the names and addresses of the counting agents so appointed shall be given to the Superintendent at least three clear days before the date of the referendum.

The Superintendent shall make arrangements for counting the votes, in the presence of such counting agents as attend, as soon as practicable after the ballot boxes have been received at the counting centre and for that purpose shall notify each political party represented in the Legislative Assembly of the time and place or places at which he will count the votes.

The Superintendent, his assistants and clerks, and the counting agents, but no other persons, save with the sanction of the Superintendent, may be present at the counting of the votes.

Before the Superintendent proceeds to count the votes, he or a person authorized by him shall open each ballot box and, taking out the papers therein, mix together the whole of the ballot papers contained in the ballot boxes. The Superintendent, while counting the votes, shall keep the ballot papers with their faces upwards, and take all proper precautions to prevent any person from seeing the numbers printed on the backs of such ballot papers.

The Superintendent shall, so far as is practicable, proceed continuously with the counting of the votes and shall endorse “rejected” on any ballot paper which he may reject as invalid.

The Superintendent shall not count the tendered ballot papers but shall place them in a separate packet and shall seal such packet.

When the counting of the votes has been completed, the Superintendent shall declare the result of the referendum.

Upon the completion of the counting, and after the result has been declared by him, the Superintendent shall seal up the ballot papers and all other documents relating to the referendum as required by this Ordinance and shall retain the same for a period of three months and thereafter shall cause them to be destroyed.