Div 9Scrutiny by Assistant Returning Officer.

Division 9.—Scrutiny by Assistant Returning Officer.

Scrutiny by Assistant Returning Officer.

Secs. 135 and 136.

76. (1) At the scrutiny the Assistant Returning Officer shall, on receipt, from a Presiding Officer, of a ballot-box, forthwith exhibit it for the inspection of the scrutineers present, and shall record the condition in which the box is received, and shall then, in the presence of the scrutineers present, open the

[Electoral and Referendum Regulations, 77]

ballot-box, and, subject to the action prescribed in regulations 56 and 73, take out and count the ballot-papers (but not inspect the votes), and record the total number of the ballot-papers taken therefrom, and thus check the statement of the Presiding Officer.

(2) If the total number of ballot-papers taken from a ballot-box is not less than one hundred, the votes may immediately be inspected and counted.

(3) If the total number of ballot-papers taken from a ballot-box is less than one hundred, they shall be placed in a locked and sealed ballot-box, called a reserve ballot-box, which has been previously exhibited to the scrutineers, and the counting of the votes on those ballot-papers shall be deferred.

(4) The ballot-papers in the reserve ballot-box may be taken out and counted when all the ballot-papers taken from any two or more ballot-boxes and placed in the reserve ballot-box exceed one hundred, but where no more ballot-boxes are to be received at the counting centre, the ballot-papers may be taken out and counted, notwithstanding that there are less than one hundred ballot-papers in the reserve ballot-box.