24Scrutiny of ballot papers

24 Scrutiny of ballot papers

(1) The Divisional Returning Officer must conduct the scrutiny of the ballot papers placed in a ballot‑box under paragraph 23(2)(b). (2) For a general election, Senate election or by‑election, the procedures in Part XVIII of the Act apply to the scrutiny with the modifications necessary to ensure that: (a) no preliminary scrutiny mentioned in section 266 of the Act is to be conducted; and (b) the secure telephone vote is taken to be a pre‑poll ordinary vote; and (c) it is irrelevant that the voter did not complete the ballot paper personally; and (d) it is irrelevant that the vote can be identified as being cast by a coronavirus affected individual. (3) An individual commits an offence of strict liability if the individual: (a) conducts the scrutiny; and (b) is neither the Divisional Returning Officer nor an individual performing tasks under the direction of the Divisional Returning Officer.

Penalty: 5 penalty units.

Publishing results of the scrutiny (4) For the purposes of publishing results of the scrutiny on the Commission’s website, a separate vote collection point must be identified for each Division in which votes are cast by using a secure telephone vote.