89Ascertainment of result of referendum

#### 89 Ascertainment of result of referendum (1) The result of a referendum shall be ascertained by scrutiny. (2) The Governor‑General, or a person authorized by the Governor‑General to act under this subsection, may appoint persons to act as scrutineers during the scrutiny at each counting centre, but the number of scrutineers appointed under this subsection must not exceed the number of officers who are engaged in the scrutiny at each counting centre. (3) The Governor of a State, or a person authorized by the Governor to act under this subsection, may appoint persons to act as scrutineers during the scrutiny at each counting centre in that State, but the number of scrutineers appointed under this subsection must not exceed the number of officers who are engaged in the scrutiny at each counting centre in that State. (3A) The Chief Minister for the Australian Capital Territory, or a person authorised by him or her to act under this subsection, may appoint persons to act as scrutineers during the scrutiny at each counting centre in the Territory, but the number of scrutineers appointed under this subsection must not exceed the number of officers who are engaged in the scrutiny at each counting centre in the Territory. (4) The Administrator of the Northern Territory, or a person authorized by the Administrator to act under this section, may appoint persons to act as scrutineers during the scrutiny at each counting centre in the Northern Territory, but the number of scrutineers appointed under this subsection must not exceed the number of officers who are engaged in the scrutiny at each counting centre in the Northern Territory. (4A) The registered officer of a registered political party may appoint persons to act as scrutineers during the scrutiny at each counting centre, but the number of scrutineers for each party shall not exceed the number of officers who are engaged in the scrutiny at each counting centre. (4B) A scrutineer appointed under this section must be appointed in the approved form. (5) In this section: > counting centre means any premises at which a scrutiny or counting of ballot papers for a referendum is to be, or is being, conducted. > registered officer, in relation to a registered political party, has the same meaning as the expression has in Part XIV of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 by virtue of section 4C of that Act. > registered political party has the same meaning as in the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918.