Section 36DB
Ballot box lost or destroyed after close of poll at overseas polling station
of Presidential Elections Act 1991
(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) in an election if any sealed ballot box containing votes cast at the affected overseas polling station in 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 reaches 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 the time delimited by Article 17A(2) of the Constitution) the polling at the affected overseas polling station 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 to the 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 in the election is also lost or destroyed and section 36DA(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 in the election.
(3)
The Returning Officer must, as soon as practicable, inform the candidates 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 must restart.
(4)
Where the polling at the affected overseas polling station must restart, the counting of the votes cast at the other overseas polling stations in the election 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 16(5) in respect of that election.
(7)
Nothing in this section restricts the exercise of any power under section 33C(3).
(8)
The Minister may prescribe the manner in which the abandonment of the counting of votes, the restart of polling, or the counting of votes, under this section is to be carried out.