29Scrutiny of votes

29 Scrutiny of votes

29 Scrutiny of votes

(1) As soon as practicable after the close of the ballot, the returning officer must, in the presence of the appointed scrutineers, scrutinise the votes in the ballot in accordance with this section.

(2) The returning officer must—

(a) open each outer envelope accepted for scrutiny, and

(b) remove the inner envelope from the outer envelope, and

(c) remove the ballot paper from the inner envelope, and

(d) examine the ballot paper, and

(e) count the votes and determine the result of the ballot.

(3) The returning officer must reject the following—

(a) all ballot papers in an inner envelope if the envelope contains more than one ballot paper,

(b) ballot papers that do not include—

(i) the initials of the returning officer or a person authorised by the returning officer to prepare the ballot paper, or

(ii) an official mark,

(c) ballot papers containing writing or another mark the returning officer considers could enable the voter to be identified,

(d) ballot papers not completed in accordance with the directions shown on the ballot paper.

(4) The returning officer must not reject a ballot paper for containing writing or another mark that is not authorised or required by this part, other than in the circumstance specified in subsection (3)(c), if the intention of the voter may be ascertained by the returning officer.

(5) The result of the CID proposal ballot is determined based on the following—

(a) the number of votes accepted in the ballot,

(b) for votes cast by business land owners—

(i) the number of votes in favour of the CID proposal, and

(ii) the number of votes against the CID proposal,

(c) for votes cast by CID businesses—