Public Health Act 1875

Counting of Votes.

51 The returning officer shall on the day immediately following the day of collection of the voting papers, and on as many days immediately succeeding as may be necessary, attend at the place appointed for the examination and casting up of the votes, and ascertain the validity of the votes, by an examination of the rate books and such other books and documents as he may think necessary, and by examining such persons as he may see fit; he shall cast up such of the votes as he finds to be valid, and to have been duly given collected or received, and shall ascertain the number of such votes for each candidate.

Any candidate may himself attend or may appoint any agent to attend the examination and casting up of the votes; any candidate or agent so attending who obstructs or in any way interferes with the examination and casting-up of the votes may, by order of the returning officer, be forthwith removed from the place appointed for that purpose, and if so removed shall not be permitted to return.

52 The candidates to the number to be elected who, being duly qualified, have obtained the greatest number of votes, shall be deemed and shall be certified by the returning officer under his hand to be elected, and to each person so elected the returning officer shall forthwith send or deliver notice of his election.

53 The returning officer shall also cause to be made a list containing the names of the candidates, together with (in case of a contest) the number of votes given for each, and the names of the persons elected, and shall sign and certify such list, and shall deliver the same, together with the nomination and voting papers which he has received, to the local board at their first or next meeting (as the case may be), who shall cause the same to be deposited in their office.

54 Such list shall during office hours be open to public inspection together with all other documents relating to the. election, for six months after the election, without fee or reward ; and the returning officer shall, as soon as may be after the completion of the election, cause such list to be printed, and copies thereof to be affixed at the usual places for affixing parochial notices within the parts for which the election has taken place.

55 The returning officer shall make all his arrangements for the conduct of the election so as to ensure its completion, and the ascertainment of the result, on or before the fifteenth of April in each year; and on that day the candidates elected shall come into office, and until that day the members in whose room they are elected shall continue to hold office.

Provided at the first election of a local board for a district constituted after the passing of this Act may be held at any time mentioned in the order constituting the district, and the members shall come into office on the day appointed for their first meeting, but shall for the purposes of retirement be deemed to have come into office on' the fifteenth of April next following the commencement of the order.