H.—39

9

(c.) The unused and spoilt ballot-papers; (d.) All books and papers kept and used by him during the polling, except the certified copy of the roll supplied to him on which is noted the fact that any elector has tendered his vote ; and (c..) (i.) A statement of the number of first-preference votes received by each candidate and of the number of ballotpapers set aside as informal under section thirty-two hereof, or set aside under section one hundred and thirty-two of the principal Act; and (ii.) A statement of the number of ballot-papers originally delivered to the Deputy Returning Officer, the number thereof delivered to and used by voters, the number of spoilt ballot-papers, and the 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 shall be signed by him and by such of the scrutineers as are present and consent to sign the same. (3.) Each parcel made up pursuant to section thirty-two 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 electoral subdivision, the name of the polling-booth, and the date of the polling, and such endorsement shall be signed by the Deputy Returning Officer. (4.) The Deputy Returning Officer shall, with all possible despatch, deliver or transmit to the Assistant Returning Officer of the electoral subdivision all the separate parcels referred to in the last preceding subsection. Official Count of the Votes and Declaration of Poll. 36. (I.) On completion of the scrutiny of the rolls as directed by section one hundred and forty-two of the principal Act the Assistant Returning Officer shall forward the result thereof to the Returning Officer of the electoral division. (2.) On receipt of the results of every such scrutiny conducted within the electoral division, 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. (/;.) The Returning Officer shall then deal 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 count the votes in accordance with the rules set out in the Third Schedule to the Legislative Council Act, 1914.

Official count of the votes.

2—H. 39.