Electoral Act 2004

(1) This section applies to the parcels of ballot papers sent to the

Commission or an authorised officer under section 98(1)(h).

(2) An authorised officer must:

(a) open the parcels and remove all the ballot papers; and

(b) set aside all informal ballot papers, count them and place them in a parcel; and

(c) arrange all formal ballot papers under the names of each candidate for whom the first preference vote on the ballot papers was cast; and

(d) count the first preference votes given for each candidate on formal ballot papers; and

(e) place all formal ballot papers mentioned in paragraph (c) in separate parcels according to the candidate for whom the first preference vote was cast; and

(f) seal the parcels mentioned in paragraphs (b) and (e) and endorse on each parcel a statement of its contents; and

(g) make any necessary amendments to the statement mentioned in section

98(1)(e).

(3) A candidate's scrutineer may sign any of the following:

(a) a sealed parcel mentioned in subsection (2)(f);

(b) the amended statement mentioned in subsection (2)(g).