Appointment of scrutineers
137 Appointment of scrutineers
Each candidate or the candidate’s official agent may appoint scrutineers to represent the candidate at the scrutiny and count of votes at each counting place.
An appointment under subsection (1) must be made in writing and addressed to the returning officer for the district, or assistant returning officer, as the case may be.
For each counting place, each candidate or the candidate’s official agent may appoint not more than —
2 scrutineers; or
if counting of votes takes place simultaneously at 2 or more locations in that place, one scrutineer for each of those locations,
unless the returning officer for the district, or assistant returning officer, as the case may be, allows a greater number.
[Section 137 amended: No. 40 of 1987 s. 84; No. 64 of 2006 s. 36; No. 14 of 2016 s. 19; No. 30 of 2023 s. 83.]
138. Scrutineers, submissions by etc.
A scrutineer may make submissions in relation to any ballot paper that the ballot paper is informal or not informal, and the officer conducting the count shall endorse the paper as “rejected” or “admitted” according to their decision to admit or reject the ballot paper.
Where an officer makes an endorsement referred to in subsection (1) the officer shall initial the endorsement.
Subject to sections 144(2b) and 146 a decision of an officer on a submission under subsection (1) is final unless reversed under Part V.
Nothing in this section prevents the officer conducting the count from rejecting any ballot paper as being informal or from admitting a ballot paper to the count in the absence of a submission by a scrutineer.
[Section 138 inserted: No. 79 of 1987 s. 58; amended: No. 30 of 2023 s. 182.]
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