5

H.—39

(ii.) A statement of the number of ballot-papers originally delivered Deputy Returning Officer, the number thereof delivered to and used by voters, the number of spoilt ballot-papers, and number of ballot-papers not delivered to and used by voters. (2.) The statements referred to in paragraph (c) of the last 'preceding subsection shall be prepared by the Deputy Returning Officer, and shah be signed by him and by such oi the scrutineers as are present and consent to sign the same. (3.) Each parcel made up pursuant to section fifteen hereof, or this section, shall be sealed by the Deputy Returning Officer with his own seal, and by such scrutineers present as desire to affix their seals, and shall be endorsed by the Deputy Returning Officer with a description of the contents thereof, the name of the district, the name of the pollingbooth, and the date of the polling ; and such endorsement shall be signed by the Deputy Returning Officer. (i.) The Deputy Returning Officer shall with all possible despatch deliver or transmit to the Returning Officer all the separate parcels referred to in the last preceding subsection. Official Count of the Votes and Declaration of Poll. 19. On completion of the scrutiny of the rolls, as directed by section one hundred and forty-two of the principal Act, the Returning Officer, with such assistance as he deems necessary, and in the presence of such of the scrutineers appointed under section forty-eight of the Legislature Amendment Act, 1910, as choose to be present, shall proceed as follows : — (a.) He shall open separately each of the parcels of ballot-papers mentioned in paragraph, (a) of subsection one of the last ■preceding section and, after setting aside all informal ballotpapers, shall count the number of first-preference votes recorded for each candidate on the ballot-papers contained therein, and shall compare the result of the count in respect of each parcel with the corresponding statement mentioned in paragraph (c) of subsection one of the last preceding section. The''Returning Officer shall, where necessary, amend any such statement, and every such statement (whether amended or not) shall be initialled by the Returning Officer. (b.) The Returning Officer shall then deai in like manner with all absent-voters' ballot-papers and seamen's ballot-papers, and shall count the number of first-preference votes recorded thereon for each candidate. (c.) The Returning Officer shall then ascertain the total number of first-preference votes recorded at the election for each candidate. 20. If numbered first-preference votes so recorded for any candidate constitutes an absolute majority (that is, is greater than one-half of the number of all the valid votes recorded at the election, including the casting-vote of the Returning Officer, when given), the Returning Officer shall declare that candidate to be duly elected. 21. If no candidate has received an absolute majority of firstpreference votes, the Returning Officer shall proceed as follows : — («..) He shall declare the candidate who has received the fewest first-preference votes to be a defeated candidate, and shall distribute among the remaining candidates all the ballotpapers previously counted to the defeated candidate according to the indication (if any) of the voters' next preference, and shall add the number so distributed to each candidate to the first-preference votes previously counted to that candidate.

Official count of t the votes. i

1' Declaration of the -. poll where absolute majority obtained. 5

- Provisions to apply where absolute majority not t obtained. 1