(1)If at the first election a person is elected a county-councillor for more than one electoral division of a county his choice as to the division for which he will serve shall be made by writing addressed to the returning officer, and if not so made, the returning officer shall, on or before the day for the first meeting of the provisional council, determine the division for which such person shall sit.
(2)Any casual vacancy arising at the first election from a person being elected for more than one electoral division or being elected a county alderman or from a failure of election or otherwise, may be filled in like manner as a casual vacancy in the county council may be filled, and the sheriff or other officer authorised to act as returning officer at the first election shall be the returning officer at any election held to fill a casual vacancy before the appointed day.
(3)Such number of members as have been elected for a county council at the first election shall subject to any order of the Local Government Board to the contrary under this Act proceed to act as a provisional council under this Act, notwithstanding any vacancy or vacancies arising from failure of election or otherwise.
(4)In case of equality of votes at the first or second meeting of a provisional county council, the chairman of the meeting shall have a second or casting vote, and where on the selection of the chairman of the meeting an equal number of votes is given to two or more persons, the meeting shall determine by lot which of those persons shall be the chairman.
(5)The first meeting of the county council shall be held on the day appointed for the council coming into office, and shall be convened by the chairman of the provisional county council.
(6)Such first meeting, and also the first meeting of the provisional county council, shall be convened in like manner as meetings of the county council are required by this Act, and the enactments applied by this Act, to be convened, and as if the person convening the same were the chairman.
(1)If from any cause there is no returning officer able to act in any county at the first election of a county council, or no register of electors properly made up, or no proper election takes place, or an election of an insufficient number of persons takes place, or any difficulty arises as respects the holding of the first election of county councillors, or as to the first meeting of a provisional council, the Local Government Board may by order appoint a returning officer or other officer, and do any matter or thing which appears . to them necessary for the proper holding of the first election, and for the proper holding of the first meeting of the provisional council, and may, if it appears to them necessary, direct a new election to be held, and fix the dates requisite for such new election. Any such order may modify the provisions of this Act and the enactments applied by this Act so far as may appear to the Board necessary for the proper holding of the first election and first meeting of the provisional council.
(2)The Local Government Board in the case of the first election may also authorise an electoral division to return two Or more members, in any case where the difficulties arising out of the registers of voters and the population of any area appear to render it necessary, and may also authorise portions of two or more county districts, or wards for which a separate register can be made, to be united for the purpose of an electoral division.
(3)The Local Government Board, on the application of a county council or provisional council, may within six months after the day fixed for the first election of the councillors of such council, from time to time, make such orders as appear to them necessary for bringing this Act into full operation as respects the council so applying, and such orders may modify any enactment in this or any other Act, whether general or local and personal, so far as may appear to the Board necessary for the said purpose.
(4)The Local Government Board may also, if satisfied that an election cannot properly be held for any county council by reason of the electoral divisions not having been duly made, cause such steps to be taken as they consider necessary for constituting such electoral divisions and making up the registers of electors.