The polling
220 The polling
The polling shall be conducted as follows:
Before any vote is taken the presiding officer shall exhibit the ballot‑box empty, and shall then securely fasten its cover;
The poll shall open at 8 o’clock in the morning, and shall not close until all electors present in the polling booth at 6 o’clock in the afternoon, and desiring to vote, have voted;
The doors of the polling booth shall be closed at 6 o’clock in the afternoon and no person shall be admitted after that hour to the polling booth for the purpose of voting;
At the close of the poll the presiding officer shall, in the presence of the polling officials and scrutineers who are in attendance in the booth, publicly close, fasten, seal, and take charge of the ballot‑box, and with the least possible delay forward it for the purposes of scrutiny, and it shall on no account be opened except as allowed by this Act:
Provided that, where the scrutiny is proceeded with immediately after the close of the poll at the polling booth at which the votes are taken, it shall not be necessary for the presiding officer to publicly close, fasten, or seal the ballot‑box as required by paragraph (d).
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