Electoral Act , 1992

(8) A candidate or his election agent shall, not less than 2 days (disregarding any excluded day) before the polling day, give written notice to the returning officer of the name and address of every agent appointed by the candidate or his election agent to be present at the counting of the votes and the returning officer may refuse to admit to the place where the votes are to be counted any agent whose name and address have not been so notified to him.

(9) Where the appointment of an agent under this section is revoked or an agent appointed under this section dies, resigns or becomes incapable of acting during a Dáil election, another agent may be appointed under this section in his place and, where such an appointment is made, the person making the appointment shall forthwith give written notice of the name and address of the agent appointed to the returning officer.

(10) A candidate may lawfully do or assist in the doing of any thing which may lawfully be done on his behalf by an agent appointed under this section or section 59 and may be present (in addition to, or in substitution for, any such agent) at any place at which any such agent may, pursuant to this Act, be present.

(11) Any thing required by this Act to be done in the presence of an agent of a candidate shall not be invalidated by reason only of the agent's not being present at the time and place appointed for doing such thing.

61 Officers not to act as agents of candidates, further candidatures etc.

61.—(1) A returning officer or a person employed by him for any purpose relating to a Dáil election shall not act as an agent for a candidate at that election and shall not be associated in furthering the candidature of a candidate or promoting the interests of a political party at the election.

(2) A returning officer shall not employ in any capacity for the purposes of a Dáil election a person who has been employed by or on behalf of a candidate in or about the election or has been associated in furthering the candidature of a candidate or promoting the interests of a political party at an election.

PART XII Death of Candidate or Outgoing Chairman of Dáil

62 Death of a candidate.

62.—(1) Where, not less than forty-eight hours before the latest time for receiving nominations the returning officer becomes satisfied that a candidate standing nominated has died, the returning officer shall immediately give public notice to that effect and the candidature of the candidate shall be deemed to have been withdrawn.

(2) Where, at any time during the period beginning forty-eight hours before the latest time for receiving nominations and ending on the commencement of the poll, the returning officer becomes satisfied that a candidate standing nominated for election has died, the following provisions shall have effect in relation to the Dáil election—

(a) the returning officer shall forthwith notify the Minister and the Clerk of the Dáil of the death of the candidate and at the same time, if notice of the poll has been given, he shall countermand the poll,

(b) the returning officer shall forthwith give public notice that all acts done in connection with the election (other than the nomination of the surviving candidates) are void and that a fresh election will be held,

(c) all the proceedings for the election shall be commenced afresh, but a fresh nomination or consent shall not be necessary in respect of any candidate who stood nominated at the time when notification of the death of the candidate was sent to the Minister,

(d) at the fresh election the earliest time for receiving nominations shall be 10 a.m. on the day (disregarding anyexcluded day) next following the date of the publication of the notice under section 44 in relation to the fresh election and the latest time for receiving nominations shall be 12 noon on the ninth day (disregarding any excluded day) next following the date on which the returning officer sends notification of the death of the candidate to the Minister,

(e) the polling day at the fresh election shall be fixed by the Minister,

(f) for the purposes of section 44 in relation to the fresh election, the returning officer shall be deemed to have received the writ on the day after the day on which he sends notification of the death of the candidate to the Minister,

(g) subsection (14) of section 25 shall not apply in relation to the fresh election and references to the Register of Political Parties contained otherwise in that section shall, in relation to the fresh election, be construed as a reference to the copy of that Register sent to the returning officer in relation to the original election.

(3) Where, at any time after the commencement of the poll in a constituency and before the close of such poll, the returning officer becomes satisfied that a candidate has died—

(a) all votes cast at the Dáil election in the constituency shall be disregarded and the ballot papers shall be destroyed by the returning officer,

(b) the provisions of paragraphs (a) to (g) of subsection (2) shall apply.

(4) Where a candidate at a Dáil election dies in circumstances other than those referred to in subsections (1), (2) or (3) his death shall not invalidate his nomination or any preference recorded for him and if he is elected his election shall not be invalidated by reason of his death, but he shall be deemed to have vacated his membership of the Dáil immediately after his election.

(5) Where a poll is countermanded under this section, all ballot papers issued to postal voters and special voters shall be disregarded and the returning officer shall destroy all ballot papers received by him for inclusion in the countermanded poll.

63 Death of outgoing Chairman of Dáil.

63.—(1) Where an outgoing Chairman of the Dáil within the meaning of section 36 who has not announced to the Dáil before its dissolution that he does not desire to become a member of the Dáil at the general election consequent on the dissolution dies before the close of the poll in the constituency for which he is deemed by virtue of that section to be elected, the following provisions shall have effect:

(a) if the Clerk of the Dáil becomes satisfied that the outgoing Chairman of the Dáil has died before the issue of the writ to the returning officer for the constituency, that section shall cease to have effect in respect of the general election;

(b) if, after the issue of the writ and before the commencement of the poll in the constituency, the Clerk of the Dáil becomes satisfied that the outgoing Chairman of the Dáil has died—

(i) the Clerk of the Dáil shall, upon being satisfied of the fact of the death, recall the writ and issue in lieu thereof to the returning officer a writ (in this paragraph referred to as the new writ) so worded that it directs him to cause an election to be held of the full number of members of the Dáil for the constituency and he shall, at the same time as he issues the new writ, notify the Minister of its issue;

(ii) the returning officer shall, upon being satisfied of the death, or upon receiving the new writ (whichever first happens), countermand the poll if notice thereof has been given;

(iii) all the proceedings for the election shall be commenced afresh;

(iv) the returning officer shall give public notice that all acts done in connection with the election (other than the nomination of the surviving candidates) are void and that a fresh election will be held;

(v) in the fresh election—

(I) the latest time for receiving nominations shall be 12 noon on the last day of the period which consists of the nine days (disregarding any excluded day) next following the day on which the new writ is issued and the polling day shall be fixed by the Minister,

(II) no fresh nomination or consent shall be necessary in respect of any candidate who stood nominated, in case there was a countermand of the poll under subparagraph (ii), at the time of the countermand of the poll and, in any other case, at the time of the receipt by the returning officer of the new writ;

(vi) subsection (14) of section 25 shall not apply in relation to the fresh election and references to the Register of Political Parties contained otherwise in that section shall, in relation to the fresh election, be construed as a reference to the copy of that Register sent to the returning officer in relation to the original election;

(c) if the returning officer becomes satisfied that the outgoing Chairman of the Dáil has died after the commencement of the poll in the constituency and before the close of such poll—

(i) all votes cast at the election in the constituency shall be disregarded and the ballot papers destroyed by the returning officer,

(ii) the provisions of subparagraphs (i) to (vi) of paragraph (b) shall apply.

(2) Where a poll is countermanded under this section, all ballot papers issued to postal voters and special voters shall be disregarded and the returning officer shall destroy all ballot papers received by him for inclusion in the countermanded poll.

PART XIII Postal Voting

64 Voting by post.

64.—A returning officer for a constituency shall, as soon as practicable after the adjournment of a Dáil election for the purpose of taking a poll, send to each Dáil elector whose name is on the postal voters list for the constituency a ballot paper and form of receipt in the form directed by the Minister, and if the ballot paper duly marked by the said elector and accompanied by the said receipt duly signed by him is received by the returning officer before the close of the poll, it shall be counted by him and treated for all purposes in the same manner as a ballot paper placed in a ballot box in the ordinary way at the taking of the poll.

65 Voting by electors referred to in section 12.

65.—(1) The provisions of this Part shall apply to the issue of ballot papers to, and the return of such ballot papers by, electors whose names are entered in the postal voters list pursuant to section 14 (c) subject to the following modifications—

(a) an elector whose name is so entered in the postal voters list, in order to cast his vote, shall, in the presence of an authorised person and no other person, do the following things in the following order—

(i) produce to the authorised person a ballot paper (in relation to which the authorised person shall satisfy himself that it is unmarked) and a form of declaration of identity in the form directed by the Minister;

(ii) complete and sign the said declaration of identity;

(iii) hand the declaration of identity to the authorised person who shall, if he is satisfied as to the identity of the person who has signed the declaration of identity, witness the signature;

(iv) mark, in secret, his ballot paper;

(v) place the marked ballot paper in the ballot paper envelope and effectually seal such envelope;

(vi) place the ballot paper envelope and the completed declaration of identity in the covering envelope and effectually seal that envelope;

(b) a reference to “receipt”, in relation to documents appropriate to such electors, shall be construed as a reference to “declaration of identity”; and

(c) a reference to “receipt duly signed”, in relation to such documents, shall be construed as a reference to “declaration of identity duly signed and witnessed”.

(2) In this section—

“authorised person” means a person appointed by the Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs to be an authorised person for the purposes of this section;

“ballot paper envelope” and “covering envelope” have the meanings specified in section 68 (3).

66 Form of ballot paper and receipt.

66.—(1) The ballot paper to be sent to postal voters shall be in the same form as, and indistinguishable from, the ballot papers delivered to other electors.

(2) The receipt sent with the ballot paper to postal voters shall be in the form directed by the Minister and shall have printed thereon the instructions to the voter.

67 Presence of agents.

67.—The returning officer, his assistants and clerks, members of the Garda Síochána on duty, the agents of the candidates appointed for this purpose under section 60, and no other person, except with the permission of the returning officer, may be present at the proceedings on the issue of ballot papers and on the opening of the postal voters ballot boxes and the envelopes contained therein.

68 Issue of postal ballot papers.

68.—(1) The returning officer shall give each candidate at least twenty four hours' notice in writing of the time and place at which, if the election is contested, he will issue the ballot papers to postal voters and of the number of persons each candidate may appoint to attend the said issue and, where any subsequent issue of ballot papers is made, the returning officer shall give each candidate, as soon as practicable, notice of the time and place at which he will make such subsequent issue and of the number of persons each candidate may appoint to attend such issue.

(2) Each ballot paper issued shall be marked with an official mark which shall be embossed or perforated so as to be visible on both sides of the paper, and the number (including polling district letter) and name of the elector as stated in the postal voters list shall be called out, and a mark shall be placed in a copy of the postal voters list opposite the number of the elector to denote that a ballot paper has been issued to the elector, but without showing the number of the ballot paper issued to him.

(3) The returning officer shall place in an envelope addressed to the postal voter—

(a) the ballot paper,

(b) the form of receipt,

(c) an envelope (in this Part referred to as a “covering envelope”) addressed to the returning officer, and

(d) a smaller envelope marked “ballot paper envelope”,

and shall effectually close the first-mentioned envelope.

(4) All envelopes addressed to the postal voters shall be counted and forthwith delivered by the returning officer to the nearest head post office or such other office as may be arranged with the head postmaster; and the postmaster shall stamp with the date stamp of An Post a form of receipt to be presented by the returning officer, stating the number of envelopes so delivered, and shall immediately forward such envelopes for delivery to the persons to whom they are addressed.

(5) Where an envelope containing a ballot paper and other documents referred to in this section is, before polling day, returned to the returning officer as not having been delivered to a postal voter, the returning officer may readdress the envelope and send it by post to that voter.

69 Provision of postal voters ballot boxes.

69.—(1) The returning officer shall provide a ballot box or ballot boxes for the reception of the covering envelopes when returned by the postal voters.

(2) Every such ballot box shall, at the time of the issue of the postal ballot papers, be shown open and empty to the agents present, and shall be sealed with the seal of the returning officer and the seals of such of the agents as desire to affix their seals, and shall be marked “Postal Voters Ballot Box”, and with the name of the constituency, and the returning officer shall make provision for the safe custody of such ballot box.

70 Envelopes to be placed in postal voters ballot boxes.

70.—The returning officer shall, immediately on receipt of covering envelopes, place them unopened in a postal voters ballot box.

71 Envelopes to be treated as covering envelopes.

71.—If the returning officer receives, before the close of the poll, an envelope other than a covering envelope and finds therein any document which it would have been appropriate to send to him in a covering envelope, he shall—

(a) securely close the envelope;

(b) endorse thereon, and sign, a statement that the envelope has been closed by him with the contents intact;

(c) place the closed envelope in a postal voters ballot box;

(d) thereafter treat the envelope as a covering envelope;

and any reference in this Part to a covering envelope shall be construed as including a reference to an envelope which has been dealt with by the returning officer in accordance with this section.

72 Procedure at close of poll.

72.—At the hour fixed for the closing of the poll the returning officer shall either—

(a) seal each postal voters ballot box so that no further papers can be inserted therein, or

(b) forthwith open each such box and extract and deal with the contents thereof in accordance with section 73.

73 Opening of postal voters ballot boxes.

73.—(1) The postal voters ballot boxes shall be opened by the returning officer, in the presence of the agents, if any, before the time fixed for the counting of the votes.

(2) Not less than 4 days before the polling day, the returning officer shall give each candidate notice in writing of the time and place at which he will proceed to open the postal voters ballot boxes, and the envelopes contained therein, and of the number of agents each candidate may appoint to be present at the opening. The returning officer shall give the said agents reasonable facilities for overseeing the proceedings at the opening of the boxes and all information with respect thereto which he can give them consistent with the orderly conduct of the proceedings and the performance of his functions.

(3) When a postal voters ballot box has been opened, the returning officer shall extract the covering envelopes therefrom and count and note the number of envelopes so extracted, and shall then open each covering envelope separately and examine the receipt.

(4) If the receipt is found to be duly signed, he shall place the receipt and the ballot paper envelope in separate receptacles or, if the ballot paper is not contained in a ballot paper envelope, he shall place the receipt in the appropriate receptacle and shall place the ballot paper, without unfolding it, in a ballot box in accordance with section 75.

(5) If he is not satisfied that the receipt has been duly signed, he shall endorse the receipt “rejected” and shall attach thereto the ballot paper envelope, without opening such envelope, or, if there is no such envelope, the ballot paper.

(6) Where a receipt does not appear to accompany the ballot paper envelope, the returning officer shall open the envelope, and if it is found to contain the receipt, he shall deal with such receipt and ballot paper in accordance with this Part.

(7) Any receipt not accompanied by a ballot paper, and any ballot paper not accompanied by a receipt, shall be marked “rejected”.

(8) Where a ballot paper and receipt are received together, the ballot paper shall not be rejected solely on the ground that the ballot paper and receipt were, or either of them was, not placed in the proper envelopes or envelope or that any such envelope was not closed.

74 Rejected receipts.

74.—(1) The returning officer shall on a request being made by the agent of a candidate show to the agent any receipt which he is rejecting on the ground that it has not been duly signed.

(2) The returning officer shall keep all rejected receipts with the attached envelopes or ballot papers, as the case may be, separate from all other documents.

75 Ballot papers to be placed in ballot boxes.

75.—When the covering envelopes in any postal voters ballot box have been opened and their contents dealt with under the two preceding sections, the returning officer shall open each unopened ballot paper envelope (other than the ballot paper envelopes referred to in section 73 (5)) and place the ballot paper, without unfolding it, in a ballot box previously shown open and empty to the agents present and sealed with the seal of the returning officer and the seals of such of the agents as desire to affix their seals, which box shall be subsequently treated as a ballot box for the purposes of section 114.

76 Duties of returning officer in relation to documents relating to postal voters.

76.—(1) The returning officer, as soon as may be practicable after the completion of the issue of the postal ballot papers and in the presence of the agents of the candidates, if any, shall make up in separate packets, sealed with his own seal and sealed by such of the agents as desire to affix their seals, the marked copy of the postal voters list and the counterfoils of the ballot papers: provided that where any subsequent issue of ballot papers is made, the sealed packet containing the marked copy of the postal voters list may be opened by the returning officer for the purposes of that issue, and on completion of that issue, the list and the counterfoils of the ballot papersat that issue shall be made up and sealed in accordance with this section.

(2) As soon as the returning officer has completed the placing of the ballot papers in the ballot box mentioned in section 75 he shall seal up in separate packets—

(a) the receipts which accompanied any ballot papers duly accepted;

(b) any rejected receipts, with envelopes, if any, attached; and

(c) any rejected ballot papers, with envelopes, if any, attached.

(3) Where covering envelopes are received by the returning officer after the close of the poll, or where any envelopes addressed to postal voters are returned as undelivered, the returning officer shall not open such envelopes and shall, subject to his power of readdressing such envelopes pursuant to section 68 (5), seal such envelopes up into separate packets.

(4) The returning officer shall endorse on each packet mentioned in subsections (1), (2) and (3) a description of its contents, and the name of the constituency and the date of the polling day at the election to which such contents relate.

(5) The returning officer shall forward to the Clerk of the Dáil at the same time as he forwards the documents mentioned in section 129—

(a) the packets referred to in the foregoing provisions of this section, and

(b) a statement in such form as may be directed by the Minister showing the number of ballot papers sent to postal voters, and giving with respect to such papers the particulars required by the form.

(6) Any envelopes returned as undelivered and any covering envelopes received by the returning officer after the said packets have been forwarded to the Clerk of the Dáil shall not be opened and shall be forwarded to the Clerk of the Dáil.

77 Definition of agent.

77.—In this Part “agent” includes the election agent of a candidate and any person appointed by or on behalf of a candidate to be present at the issue of ballot papers to postal voters or the opening of postal voters ballot boxes.

PART XIV Voting by Special Voters

78 Interpretation (Part XIV).

78.—In this Part—

“ballot paper envelope” has the meaning specified in section 81 (c);

“covering envelope” has the meaning specified in section 81 (d);

“special presiding officer” means a person appointed to be a special presiding officer pursuant to section 80.

79 Voting by special voters.

79.—A Dáil elector whose name is, at the time of a Dáil election, entered in the special voters list for a constituency shall be entitled to vote in that constituency at the poll at the election in accordance with the provisions of section 82 and shall not be entitled to vote in any other manner.

80 Special presiding officers.

80.—(1) The returning officer shall, as circumstances may require, for the purposes of this Part appoint one, or more than one, person to be a special presiding officer to carry out the functions conferred on a special presiding officer by this Part.

(2) The provisions of this Act relating to the powers, rights and duties of a presiding officer appointed for a polling station at an election shall apply to a special presiding officer appointed under this section as if he were a presiding officer so appointed and as if the place where the special voter is casting his vote were a polling station at an election.

(3) The returning officer may perform all or any of the functions of a special presiding officer appointed under this section and the provisions of subsection (2) shall apply to the returning officer while he is so performing.

(4) The provisions of section 103 relating to the right of an elector to request that his ballot paper be marked for him by a companion shall not apply in relation to a special voter.

81 Ballot paper etc. for special voters.

81.—As soon as practicable after the adjournment of the Dáil election for the purpose of taking a poll the returning officer shall cause to be delivered pursuant to section 82 to every special voter entitled to vote at that election, the following—

(a) a ballot paper for the election;

(b) a form of declaration of identity in the form directed by the Minister;

(c) an envelope marked (and in this Part referred to as a) “ballot paper envelope”; and

(d) an envelope addressed to the returning officer (in this Part referred to as a “covering envelope”).

82 Method of voting by special voters.

82.—(1) At a Dáil election, a special presiding officer shall, in the presence of a member of the Garda Síochána, deliver to the special voter the form of declaration of identity referred to in section 81.

(2) No person other than the special presiding officer and the member of the Garda Síochána shall be present when the special voter is voting pursuant to this section.

(3) The special voter shall complete the declaration of identity and shall sign it or, if he is unable to write, place his mark thereon and the said signature, or as the case may be mark, shall be witnessed by the special presiding officer.

(4) The special presiding officer shall, on being satisfied as to the identity of the special voter, mark a ballot paper with the official mark and deliver it to the special voter together with a ballot paper envelope.

(5) The special presiding officer shall, as soon as he has given the ballot paper and the ballot paper envelope to the special voter, place a mark against the name of the special voter concerned on a copy of the special voters list to denote that a ballot paper has been issued to such voter but without showing the number of the ballot paper so issued.

(6) The special voter shall thereupon record in secret his vote upon the ballot paper and, when he has so recorded his vote, shall fold the ballot paper so that his vote is concealed and place the ballot paper, so folded, in the ballot paper envelope and seal the envelope and hand the ballot paper envelope to the special presiding officer.

(7) The special presiding officer shall, as soon as he has received the ballot paper envelope, place it together with the completed declaration of identity in a covering envelope which he shall thereupon seal and to which he shall affix a label in the form directed by the Minister signed by himself and the member of the Garda Síochána.

83 Duties of special presiding officer in relation to covering envelopes and other documents.

83.—(1) The special presiding officer shall, before the time fixed for the close of the poll at the Dáil election, deliver to the returning officer every covering envelope referred to in section 82 (7).

(2) On the completion of voting by special voters, each special presiding officer shall seal up, in separate packets—

(a) the unused ballot papers and any spoilt ballot papers, placed together;

(b) the counterfoils of the ballot papers;

(c) the marked copy of the special voters list;

(d) a ballot paper account in such form as may be directed by the Minister completed by him;

(e) the marking instrument, any unused stationery and any other documents or materials in his possession which relate to voting by special voters at the election;

and he shall deliver all such packets to the returning officer.

84 Duties of returning officer in relation to documents relating to special voters.

84.—(1) The returning officer shall deal with the packets delivered to him by a special presiding officer pursuant to section 83 in the same manner as he would deal, in accordance with the provisions of this Act, with other packets containing similar documents and materials relating to a Dáil election.

(2) The returning officer shall place the covering envelopes returned to him by a special presiding officer pursuant to section 83, in the postal voters ballot box referred to in section 69 and the covering envelopes and the documents therein shall thereafter be treated as if they were envelopes and documents returned to the returning officer by postal voters and the provisions of sections 73, 74, 75 and 76 shall apply to such envelopes and documents.

(3) In the application of the provisions of this Act relating to postal voters to special voters—

(a) a reference to “receipt” shall, in relation to documents appropriate to special voters, be construed as a reference to “declaration of identity”, and

(b) a reference to “receipt duly signed” in relation to such documents, shall be construed as a reference to “declaration of identity duly signed and witnessed”, and

(c) if the covering envelope does not have the label referred to in section 82 attached thereto or if such label is not duly signed by the special presiding officer and the member of the Garda Síochána, the returning officer shall reject the covering envelope and deal with it as if it were a receipt which had not been duly signed.

PART XV Polling on Islands

85 Advance polling on islands.

85.—(1) This section applies where a poll is to be taken at a Dáil election in a constituency and the returning officer is of opinion that, in the case of a polling station situate on an island, it may be impracticable owing to stress of weather or transport difficulties, either—

(a) to take the poll on the polling day appointed by the Minister, or

(b) if the poll were taken on that day, to deliver the ballot boxes to the place for the counting of the votes at or before the hour of 9 a.m. on the day next after the polling day.

(2) Where this section applies, the returning officer shall give public notice in the polling district stating that he will take the poll at the polling station on the island on a specified day, being a day earlier than the polling day appointed by the Minister and later than the sixth day before the said polling day, and the following provisions shall, notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, have effect:

(a) the returning officer shall take the poll at the polling station on the island on the day specified in the notice or, where he is of opinion that, owing to stress of weather, the poll cannot be taken on that day, on the first day after that day on which, in his opinion, transport between the island and the mainland is reasonably safe,

(b) where owing to transport difficulties the poll cannot begin at the hour fixed by the Minister for the commencement of the poll, it shall begin as soon as possible after that hour,

(c) where, after the polling has continued for not less than four hours, the presiding officer is of opinion that, if the poll were further continued, the ballot boxes could not reach the place for the counting of the votes at or before the hour of 9 a.m. on the day next after the polling day appointed by the Minister, he may then close the poll.

(3) No alteration shall be made in the form or contents of the notice of poll under section 87 by reason of an alteration under this section of the day and hours of the poll.

86 Polling on islands; further provisions.

86.—Where a poll, other than a poll taken on a day specified under section 85, is to be taken in a constituency, notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, the following provisions shall have effect in relation to a polling station on an island—

(a) where, owing to stress of weather or transport difficulties, the poll cannot begin at the hour fixed by the Minister for the commencement of the poll, it shall begin as soon as possible after that hour,

(b) where, after the poll has continued for not less than four hours, the presiding officer is of opinion that if the poll were further continued the ballot boxes could not reach the place for the counting of the votes at or before the hour of 9 a.m. on the day next after the polling day appointed by the Minister, he may then close the poll.

PART XVI Arrangements for the Poll

87 Notice of the poll.

87.—Where a Dáil election is adjourned for the purpose of taking a poll, the returning officer shall, as soon as practicable after the adjournment, publish a notice (in this Act referred to as “the notice of poll”) stating—

(a) the day on which and the hours during which the poll will be taken,

(b) the names and descriptions of the candidates standing nominated at the election as entered in their nomination papers and of the proposers, if any, and

(c) the order in which the names of the said candidates will appear on the ballot papers.

88 Ballot papers.

88.—(1) The ballot of a voter at a Dáil election shall consist of a paper (in this Act referred to as a “ballot paper”) in the form specified in the Fourth Schedule.

(2) Ballot papers shall be prepared in accordance with the following directions—

(a) a ballot paper shall contain the names and descriptions of the candidates standing nominated at the election, as shown in their respective nomination papers. The names shall be arranged alphabetically in the order of the surnames or, if there are 2 or more candidates bearing the same surname, in the alphabetical order of their other names or, if their surnames and other names are the same, in such order as shall be determined by lot by the returning officer,

(b) the surname of each candidate and the name of his political party if any, or, if appropriate, the expression “Non-Party” shall be printed in large capitals, his name shall be printed in small capitals and his address and occupation, if any, as appearing in his nomination paper shall be printed in ordinary characters,

(c) the list of candidates shall be arranged either in one continuous column or in 2 or more columns in such manner (without departing from the alphabetical order) as, in the opinion of the returning officer, is best for marking and counting, but subject to the restriction that the spaces on the ballot paper within which the candidates’ names and descriptions appear shall be the same for each of the candidates,

(d) the ballot papers shall be numbered consecutively on the back and the back of the counterfoil attached to each ballot paper shall bear the same number. The numbers on the ballot papers shall be printed in the smallest characters compatible with legibility and shall be printed on or about the centre of the paper,

(e) the top right hand column on the ballot paper shall bear such markings as to ensure that nothing may be written therein,

(f) apart from anything permitted by the form specified in the Fourth Schedule, nothing shall appear on the ballot paper except in accordance with these directions.

89 The official mark.

89.—(1) A ballot paper shall at the time of issue be marked with an official mark (in this Act referred to as “the official mark”), which shall be either embossed or perforated so as to be visible on both sides of the paper and the returning officer shall provide a sufficient number of marking instruments for this purpose.

(2) The returning officer shall ensure that the official mark is kept secret before the taking of the poll and that an interval of not less than seven years shall intervene between each use of the same official mark at a Dáil election in the constituency.

90 Ballot boxes.

90.—Every ballot box shall be so constructed that it can be securely locked and that while it is so locked ballot papers can be inserted therein but cannot be extracted and that the box and the aperture for the insertion of ballot papers can be sealed.

91 Use of local elections ballot boxes etc.

91.—Any ballot boxes, fittings for polling stations and compartments provided for local elections in any local electoral area wholly or partly contained in a Dáil constituency or for European elections in a European constituency in which a Dáil constituency is wholly or partly contained may be used for any Dáil election in such Dáil constituency; and it shall be the duty of the returning officer at any Dáil election in such constituency to make use so far as practicable of the ballot boxes, fittings and compartments aforesaid, and upon taxation of his accounts regard shall be had to the provisions of this section, and any damage, other than reasonable wear and tear, caused to any such ballot boxes, fittings and compartments by such user at a Dáil election shall be paid as part of the expenses of the election.

92 Polling information cards.

92.—(1) Where a poll is to be taken at a Dáil election in a constituency, the returning officer shall send to every elector whose name is on the register of Dáil electors for the constituency and is not on the postal voters list or the special voters list a card (in this section referred to as a “polling information card”) in such form as may be directed by the Minister informing him of his number (including polling district letter) on the register of Dáil electors and of the place at which he will be entitled to vote, and containing a statement in relation to the specified documents referred to in section 111.

(2) A polling information card shall be addressed to the elector at the address in respect of which he is registered in the register of Dáil electors and shall be delivered at that address not later than the third day before the polling day.

(3) Where a polling information card is dispatched by post it shall be transmitted without prepayment of charges therefor by the earliest practicable post.

(4) No action or other proceedings shall lie against a returning officer in respect of any failure to send, non-delivery of or error or mis-statement in a polling information card.

93 Use of schools and public premises.

93.—(1) The returning officer may for the purpose of taking the poll and counting the votes at a Dáil election use, free of charge, any school or any room in a school and any premises (other than a dwelling house) owned or occupied by a local authority.

(2) The returning officer shall make good any damage to, and may defray any expenses incurred by the person having control over such school, room or premises by reason of its being used by him at a Dáil election.

(3) The use of any unoccupied premises or any part thereof for the purpose of taking the poll and counting the votes at a Dáil election shall not make the premises liable to be rated or render any person liable to pay any rate for the premises.

(4) A person having charge of a school adjoining or adjacent to or forming part of a church or a convent or other religious establishment may, within twenty-four hours after receiving notice from the returning officer of an intention to use such school or any part thereof at a Dáil election, object to such use by sending a statement of such objection to the returning officer. Any objection made under this subsection may, on the application of the returning officer, be overruled by the Minister if he thinks it right so to do, but unless and until such objection is so over-ruled, no part of the school referred to in such objection may be used under this section.

(5) In this section “school” means any school receiving a grant out of moneys provided by the Oireachtas and includes a national school and a secondary, vocational or other post-primary school.

94 Polling stations.

94.—(1) At every polling place the returning officer shall provide a sufficient number of polling stations, conveniently distributed for the accommodation of the Dáil electors entitled to vote there. Where, by reason of any difficulty, a polling station or a sufficient number of polling stations cannot be provided at the appointed polling place, the returning officer may provide a polling station or polling stations at any other convenient place.

(2) The returning officer shall allot the Dáil electors to the polling stations in such manner as, in his opinion, will be most convenient for them.

(3) The returning officer shall give public notice of the location of polling stations in each polling place and the description of Dáil electors allotted to vote at each such place.

(4) The returning officer shall make adequate provision for the heating, lighting and cleaning of each polling station.

(5) The returning officer shall provide at each polling station—

(a) such number of compartments in which the voters can mark their ballot papers screened from observation, as he considers necessary,

(b) such furniture as he considers necessary,

(c) a sufficient number of ballot boxes,

(d) such number of ballot papers as he considers necessary,

(e) instruments for placing the official mark on ballot papers,

(f) copies of the register or such part thereof as contains the names of the Dáil electors allotted to vote at the station,

(g) such materials as he considers necessary to enable voters to mark their ballot papers,

(h) such other documents, forms, stationery and other materials as he considers necessary.

(6) The returning officer shall keep a record of the numbers on the ballot papers provided by him at each polling station.

95 Presiding officers and poll clerks.

95.—(1) The returning officer shall appoint a presiding officer to preside at each polling station and may also appoint a poll clerk or clerks to assist each presiding officer. Any such appointment may be revoked at any time by the returning officer and where the appointment revoked is the appointment of a presiding officer the returning officer shall forthwith appoint a fresh presiding officer to preside at the relevant polling station.

(2) The returning officer shall, on request, permit a person in respect of whom he is satisfied that that person has a bona fide interest in the Dáil election as either a candidate or a prospective candidate, or the agent of such a person, to inspect the list of persons to whom he has offered, or proposes to offer, appointments as presiding officers or poll clerks.

(3) A presiding officer shall keep order at his station, regulate the number of Dáil electors to be admitted at a time and shall exclude all other persons except those authorised by section 98 to be present in the station.

(4) The presiding officer may do, by a clerk appointed to assist him, any act which he is required or authorised to do by this Act, except ordering the arrest, exclusion or ejection from the polling station of any person.

(5) The returning officer or a person appointed by him under subsection (6) may perform all or any of the functions of a presiding officer and while so doing shall be subject to the provisions of this Act in like manner as if he had been appointed a presiding officer.

(6) The returning officer may appoint a person to act as his representative in a polling place to carry out such duties as the returning officer may assign to him.

PART XVII The Poll

96 Times of poll.

96.—(1) A poll at a Dáil election—

(a) shall be taken on such day as shall be appointed by the Minister by order, being a day which (disregarding any excluded day) is not earlier than the seventeenth day or later than the twenty-fifth day next following the day on which the writ or writs for the election is or are issued,

(b) shall continue for such period, not being less than twelve hours, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 10.30 p.m. as may be fixed by the Minister by order, subject to the restriction that, in the case of a general election, he shall fix the same period for all constituencies.

(2) An order under this section shall be published in the Iris Oifigiúil as soon as may be after it is made.

97 Opening of the poll.

97.—Immediately before the commencement of the poll the presiding officer at each polling station shall show each ballot box in his charge to such persons as are present in the station, so that they may see that it is empty, and shall then lock the box and seal it in such manner as to prevent its being opened without breaking the seal and shall place it in his view for the receipt of ballot papers, and keep it so locked, sealed and in view during the poll.

98 Admission to polling station.

98.—No person shall be admitted to a polling station other than—

(a) the returning officer and any representative of his,

(b) the presiding officer and poll clerk for the station,

(c) a candidate, his election agent and his deputy agent for the polling district concerned,

(d) the personation agents duly appointed in writing for the station by or on behalf of the candidates,

(e) Dáil electors admitted for the purpose of voting at the polling station,

(f) companions of Dáil electors whose sight is so impaired or who are otherwise so physically incapacitated that they are unable to vote without assistance, while such companions are assisting such electors,

(g) members of the Garda Síochána on duty,

(h) messengers sent by or on behalf of the returning officer, and

(i) other persons authorised by the returning officer to be present in the station.

99 Voting by persons in the employment of returning officers.

99.—Where a Dáil elector for a constituency is employed by a returning officer for any purpose in connection with a Dáil election and the circumstances of that elector's employment are, in the opinion of the returning officer, such as to prevent him from voting at the polling station at which that Dáil elector would otherwise be entitled to vote, the returning officer may authorise such Dáil elector, by an authorisation given in such form as may be directed by the Minister, to vote at any other polling station in the constituency.

100 Authorisation of physically ill or physically disabled elector to vote at another polling station.

100.—Where, not less than 7 days before polling day at a Dáil election, a Dáil elector, whose name is not on the postal voters list or the special voters list, satisfies the returning officer that he is unable, by reason of physical illness or physical disability suffered by him, to vote at the polling station at which he would otherwise be entitled to vote, the returning officer may, if he is of opinion that it would be more convenient for the elector because of his physical illness or physical disability to vote at another polling station situate in the same constituency, in writing authorise the elector to vote at such polling station as may be specified in the authorisation instead of the polling station at which the elector would otherwise be entitled to vote.

101 Procedure for voting.

101.—(1) Subject to the provisions of sections 38, 64, 79, 99, 100, 103, 104, 105 and 111, the presiding officer shall deliver a ballot paper to a Dáil elector who applies therefor and declares his name and address.

(2) Immediately before a ballot paper is delivered to a Dáil elector—

(a) the number (including polling district letter) and name of the elector as stated in the register shall be called out,

(b) the ballot paper shall be marked with the official mark,

(c) a mark shall be placed in the register against the number of the elector to denote that a ballot paper has been issued to that elector but without showing the number of the ballot paper so issued.

(3) A Dáil elector on receiving the ballot paper shall (subject to the provisions of section 103) go alone into one of the compartments in the polling station and there shall secretly record his vote on the ballot paper and fold the paper so that his vote is concealed. He shall then return to the presiding officer's table, show the back of the folded paper to the presiding officer so as to disclose the official mark and then put the folded paper into the ballot box. He shall vote without undue delay and shall leave the polling station as soon as he has put his ballot paper into the ballot box.

102 Spoilt ballot papers.

102.—A voter who has inadvertently spoiled his ballot paper shall, on returning it to the presiding officer and satisfying him as to the inadvertence, be given another ballot paper. The presiding officer shall immediately mark “spoilt” on the spoilt ballot paper and on the counterfoil thereof. He shall retain the spoilt ballot paper and counterfoil and deal with them in accordance with section 110.

103 Voting by blind, incapacitated and illiterate electors.

103.—(1) Where a Dáil elector applying for a ballot paper satisfies the presiding officer that his sight is so impaired or that he is otherwise so physically incapacitated or that he is unable to read or write to such an extent that he is unable to vote without assistance, this section shall apply.

(2) For the purposes of subsection (1) the presiding officer may, and if required by any personation agent present in the polling station shall, administer to the Dáil elector before delivery of the ballot paper an oath or (in the case of a person who objects to taking an oath on the ground that he has no religious belief or that the taking of an oath is contrary to his religious belief) an affirmation in the following form:

“I swear by Almighty God (or — do solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm — as the case may be) that my sight is so impaired (or — that I am so physically incapacitated or — that I am unable to read or write to such an extent — as the case may be) that I am unable to vote without assistance”

and if the Dáil elector refuses to take the oath or make the affirmation, this section shall not apply.

(3) Where this section applies in the case of a Dáil elector who satisfies the presiding officer that his sight is so impaired or that he is otherwise so physically incapacitated that he is unable to vote without assistance, the elector may request that his ballot paper shall be marked for him by a companion and, subject to subsection (4), the companion may go with the elector into one of the compartments in the polling station and there shall mark the ballot paper for the elector and shall fold it and show the back of the folded paper to the presiding officer so as to disclose the official mark and forthwith place the paper in the ballot box.

(4) The presiding officer may, and if required by any personation agent present in the polling station shall, put to the companion before delivery of the ballot paper, the following questions or any one or more of them:

(i) Have you attained the age of sixteen years?

(ii) Have you marked as a companion more than one ballot paper at this election?

(iii) Are you a candidate at this election?

(iv) Are you an agent of a candidate at this election?

and unless such of those questions as are put to the companion are answered, in the case of the first of those questions, in the affirmative and, in the case of any other of those questions, in the negative, the companion may not mark the ballot paper.

(5) Where this section applies and—

(a) the Dáil elector is unable to read or write, or

(b) the Dáil elector does not request that his ballot paper shall be marked for him by a companion, or

(c) the Dáil elector having so requested, the marking of his ballot paper by the companion would be in contravention of subsection (4),

the presiding officer shall, in the presence of the elector and the personation agents and no other person, mark a ballot paper as instructed by such elector and shall then fold it and place it in the ballot box.

(6) A request made by a Dáil elector within two hours before the hour fixed by the Minister for the close of the poll to have his ballot paper marked for him under this section otherwise than by acompanion may be refused by the presiding officer if, in his opinion, having regard to the number of Dáil electors then coming in to vote or likely to come in to vote before the close of the poll, his acceding to such request would interfere with the proper discharge of his duties or would unduly obstruct the voting of other Dáil electors.

(7) Where a ballot paper is to be marked pursuant to subsection (5) the presiding officer may assist the Dáil elector by reading out in full from the ballot paper the particulars stated in respect of each candidate, but he shall not act on any written instruction.

(8) Where, pursuant to this section, a person has marked as a companion two ballot papers at a Dáil election, he shall not, at that election, mark as a companion any other ballot paper.

(9) A person shall not mark as a companion a ballot paper at a Dáil election if he has not reached the age of 16 years or if he is a candidate or agent of a candidate at that election.

104 Alleged personation.

104.—(1) Where, at a Dáil election, a ballot paper has been issued to a person representing himself to be a particular Dáil elector named on the register of Dáil electors and another person representing himself to be that Dáil elector applies for a ballot paper and duly produces a specified document having been so required by the presiding officer under section 111 and answers such of the questions as may be put to him or takes the oath or makes the affirmation under the said section, subject to section 111, that other person shall be entitled to receive a ballot paper and mark and place it in the ballot box in like manner as any other Dáil elector.

(2) The presiding officer shall make out a statement showing the total number of ballot papers issued pursuant to this section and the name and number (including polling district letter) on the register of Dáil electors of each of the persons to whom such papers were issued.

105 Arrest of person committing personation.

105.—(1) Where a presiding officer has reasonable cause to believe that any person who applies for or has applied for a ballot paper is committing or has committed personation he may, before such person has left the polling station, direct a member of the Garda Síochána to arrest the person on the charge of having committed personation and the member of the Garda Síochána shall comply with such direction.

(2) If at the time a person applies for a ballot paper at a Dáil election, or after he has applied for a ballot paper and before he has left the polling station, a personation agent declares to the presiding officer that he believes and undertakes in writing to prove that the applicant has committed personation, the presiding officer may direct a member of the Garda Síochána to arrest the applicant on the charge of having committed personation and the member of the Garda Síochána shall comply with such direction.

(3) Any member of the Garda Síochána may, without any warrant, arrest any person who, he has reasonable cause to believe, is committing, or has committed, personation.

(4) Any arrest authorised by this section may be made at any place whether in a polling station or out of such a station.

(5) No action or other proceeding shall lie against a presiding officer in respect of the arrest on his direction, without malice, of any person on a charge of having committed personation.

106 Maintenance of order in polling station.

106.—(1) If any person misconducts himself at a polling station or fails to obey the lawful orders of the presiding officer for that station, he may immediately, by order of the said presiding officer, be removed from the polling station by any member of the Garda Síochána or by any other person authorised in writing by the presiding officer to remove him. A person so removed shall not re-enter the polling station without the permission of the presiding officer.

(2) The presiding officer shall as far as practicable ensure that all material which advocates the candidature of a particular person or persons or of members of a political party is removed from the polling station.

(3) For the purpose of this section a polling station shall be deemed to include all parts of the building and any land within the curtilage of the building in which the polling station is situate.

107 Obstruction of the poll.

107.—(1) Where the poll at any polling station is obstructed by violence, the presiding officer for that station may adjourn the said poll until the next following day (disregarding any excluded day) and on such day the said poll shall be resumed at a time corresponding to the time fixed for the commencement of the poll and shall continue until a time corresponding to the time fixed for the close of the poll on the polling day. References in this Act to the close of the poll shall be construed accordingly in relation to the said polling station.

(2) In the event of such obstruction, only the poll at such polling stations as are actually affected by the obstruction may be adjourned and the poll at all other polling stations shall be continued without adjournment.

(3) Where a poll is adjourned under this section the presiding officer shall forthwith give notice of such adjournment to the returning officer who shall not open any of the ballot boxes used in the constituency until the adjourned poll has been completed.

(4) This section shall apply to any obstruction caused by persons being prevented by violence from going to any polling station and to obstruction caused in any other manner by violence.

108 Damage to polling stations.

108.—Subject to sections 56, 62, 63, 85, 86, 107 and 109, where, for any reason, including damage to a polling station, the poll at any polling station cannot be taken or continued in accordance with section 96 the following provisions shall have effect:

(a) the returning officer shall—

(i) forthwith give public notice to that effect,

(ii) inform the Minister, and

(iii) take all such steps and give all such directions as he thinks proper for the holding or completion of the poll at such polling station,

(b) a fresh poll shall be held or the poll shall be continued, as may be appropriate, at such polling station on a day (not being later than seven days after the polling day) appointed for the purpose by the returning officer,

(c) the provisions of this Act shall apply in respect of such fresh poll or the continued poll in like manner as they apply to the original poll, and

(d) the returning officer shall not open any of the ballot boxes used in the constituency until the fresh poll or the continued poll has been completed.

109 Destruction etc. of ballot boxes or ballot papers.

109.—If at a Dáil election any ballot boxes or ballot papers are, without lawful authority, taken out of the custody of the returning officer or of a presiding officer or are in any way tampered with or are destroyed or (in the case of ballot papers) are maliciously torn or defaced the following provisions shall have effect:

(a) the poll at every polling station at which any of the said ballot boxes or ballot papers were used shall be void,

(b) the returning officer shall forthwith inform the Minister of the polling having so become void,

(c) upon receipt of that information, the Minister shall forthwith take all such steps and give all such directions as he thinks proper for the taking of a fresh poll at every such polling station,

(d) a fresh poll shall be taken at every such polling station on a day appointed for this purpose by the Minister,

(e) the provisions of this Act shall apply in respect of such fresh poll in like manner as they apply to the original poll,

(f) the returning officer shall not open any of the ballot boxes used in the constituency until the fresh poll has been completed.

110 Duties of presiding officer at close of poll.

110.—(1) At the time fixed for the close of the poll the presiding officer shall take steps to ensure that no further Dáil electors are admitted to the polling station, but any elector on the premises at that time shall, subject to the provisions of this Act, be entitled to receive a ballot paper and to vote.

(2) As soon as practicable after the close of the poll, the presiding officer shall seal each ballot box in his charge so that no further ballot papers can be inserted therein and shall attach the key thereto and seal up in separate packets—

(a) the unused and spoilt ballot papers, placed together,

(b) the marked copies of the register of Dáil electors,

(c) the counterfoils of the ballot papers,

(d) a ballot paper account in such form as may be directed by the Minister made out by him and a statement prepared in accordance with section 104 (2),

(e) any authorisations given by the returning officer under section 99 or 100 authorising persons to vote at the polling station,and any undertakings by a personation agent to prove that a person has committed personation, and

(f) the marking instruments, unused stationery and other documents and materials relating to the Dáil election,

and shall deliver all such ballot boxes and packets to the returning officer.

(3) The returning officer shall make adequate arrangements for the safe custody of the ballot boxes delivered in pursuance of this section and of all documents connected with the poll.

111 Right to vote.

111.—(1) Subject to the subsequent provisions of this section, every person whose name is on the register of Dáil electors for the time being in force for a constituency, and no other person, shall be entitled to vote at the poll at a Dáil election in that constituency.

(2) For the purposes of this section—

(a) a person's name shall be taken to be on a register of Dáil electors if the register includes a name which in the opinion of the returning officer or presiding officer was intended to be the person's name;

(b) (i) the returning officer or the presiding officer may of his own volition, or if so required by a personation agent present in the polling station, request any person at the time of applying for a ballot paper, but not afterwards, to produce a specified document and, if the person fails to produce such a document, or if the returning officer or the presiding officer is not satisfied that the person is the person to whom the document relates, such person shall not be permitted to vote;

(ii) for the purposes of this paragraph “specified document” means such document as may be specified in regulations made by the Minister under this section;

(c) the returning officer or presiding officer may, and if so required by a personation agent present in the polling station shall, put to any person when he applies for a ballot paper, but not afterwards, the following questions, or any one or more of them:

(i) Are you the same person as the person whose name appears as AB on the register of Dáil electors now in force for the constituency of?

(ii) Have you already voted at this election?

(iii) Had you reached the age of eighteen years on (date of coming into force of the register)?

and unless such of those questions as are put to the person are answered, in the case of the first and third of those questions, in the affirmative and, in the case of the second of them, in the negative, the person shall not be permitted to vote;

(d) the returning officer or presiding officer may, and if so required by a personation agent present in the polling station shall, administer to any person when he applies for a ballot paper, but not afterwards, an oath or (in the case of any person who objects to taking an oath on the ground that he has no religious belief or that the taking of an oath is contrary to his religious belief) an affirmation in the following form:

“I swear by Almighty God (or — do solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm — as the case may be) that I am the same person as the person whose name appears as AB on the register of Dáil electors now in force for the constitutency of..........and that I have not already voted at this election, and that I had attained the age of eighteen years on..........(date of coming into force of the register)”;

and if such person refuses to take the oath or make the affirmation he shall not be permitted to vote.

(3) Save as is provided by this section and section 103, no request to a voter to produce a document shall be made, and no question, oath, affirmation or objection shall be put or permitted at the time of the poll at a Dáil election as to the right of any person to vote, and no objection thereto shall be made or received by any returning officer or presiding officer.

(4) Nothing in this section shall be construed as entitling any person to vote who is not entitled to do so, or as relieving him from any penalties to which he may be liable for voting.

PART XVIII Arrangements for the Counting of the Votes

112 Place for the counting of the votes.

112.—The returning officer for a constituency shall appoint a place within or convenient to the constituency as the place at which he will count the votes and shall, at the place so appointed, provide suitable accommodation and all furniture and equipment necessary for counting the votes in accordance with Part XIX and shall make adequate arrangements for the safe custody of the ballot papers and other documents relating to the Dáil election concerned.

113 Attendance at the counting of the votes.

113.—(1) Not less than 4 days (disregarding any excluded day) before the polling day the returning officer shall give written notice to each candidate of the time and place at which he will proceed to count the votes and of the number of agents each candidate may appoint to be present at the counting of the votes.

(2) The returning officer, his assistants and clerks, members of the Garda Síochána on duty and the agents of the candidates duly appointed for the purpose under this Act may be present at the counting of the votes and no other person shall be present without the permission of the returning officer.

(3) The returning officer shall give the agents of the candidates all such reasonable facilities for overseeing the proceedings at the counting of the votes (including, in particular, facilities for satisfyingthemselves that the ballot papers have been correctly sorted) and all such information with respect thereto as he can give them consistent with the orderly conduct of the proceedings and the performance of his functions.

114 Preliminary proceedings.

114.—(1) At 9 a.m. on the day next following the polling day, and at the place appointed under section 112, the returning officer for the constituency shall, in the presence of the agents of the candidates, open the ballot boxes and extract the ballot papers therefrom.

(2) The ballot papers extracted by the returning officer from each ballot box shall be counted and their total number shall be compared with the number shown in the appropriate ballot paper account. The returning officer shall prepare a statement showing the result of this comparison in respect of all the ballot boxes and he shall, on request allow the agent of any candidate to copy the statement.

(3) The returning officer shall then mix together the whole of the ballot papers and shall forthwith proceed to count the votes in accordance with Part XIX.

(4) The returning officer, while counting and recording the number of ballot papers, shall cause the said papers to be kept face upwards and shall take due precautions to prevent any person from seeing the numbers printed on the backs of the said papers.

115 Time for the counting of the votes.

115.—The returning officer shall, so far as practicable, proceed continuously with the counting of the votes, except during time for refreshment, and excluding (except so far as he and the candidates otherwise agree) the hours between 11 p.m. and 9 a.m.

116 Conduct of the counting of the votes.

116.—The returning officer shall cause the ballot papers to be scrutinised for the purpose of discovering any papers liable to be rejected as invalid and shall, in accordance with Part XIX, ascertain and record the number of votes given to each candidate.

117 Handling of ballot papers by candidates or agents.

117.—Candidates or their agents shall not handle ballot papers during the counting of the votes.

PART XIX Rules for the Counting of the Votes

118 Interpretation (Part XIX).

118.—(1) In this Part—

“continuing candidate” means any candidate not deemed to be elected and not excluded;

“count” means—

(a) all the operations involved in the counting of the first preferences recorded for candidates;

(b) all the operations involved in the transfer of the surplus of a candidate deemed to be elected;

(c) all the operations involved in the transfer of the votes of an excluded candidate; or

(d) all the operations involved in the transfer of the votes of two or more candidates together;

“deemed to be elected” means deemed to be elected for the purpose of the counting of the votes but without prejudice to the declaration of the result of the poll;

“determine by lot” means determine in accordance with the following directions, namely, the names of the candidates concerned having been written on similar slips of paper, and the slips having been folded so as to prevent identification and mixed and drawn at random, the candidate or candidates shall in cases of exclusion be excluded in the order in which their names are drawn, and, in cases of surpluses, the surpluses shall be transferred in the order in which the names are drawn, and, in cases of equality of fractions, the fraction relating to the candidate whose name is first drawn shall be deemed to be the largest;

“non-transferable paper” means a ballot paper on which no second or subsequent preference is recorded for a continuing candidate; provided that a paper shall be deemed to have become a non-transferable paper whenever—

(a) the names of two or more candidates (whether continuing candidates or not) are marked with marks which, in the opinion of the returning officer, indicate the same order of preference and are next in order of preference; or

(b) the name of the candidate next in order of preference (whether a continuing candidate or not) is marked with a mark which, in the opinion of the returning officer, does not follow consecutively after some other mark on the ballot paper, or with two or more marks; or

(c) it is void for uncertainty;

“original vote” in regard to any candidate means a vote derived from a ballot paper on which a first preference is recorded for that candidate;

“preference” shall be interpreted as follows—

(a) “first preference” means any mark which, in the opinion of the returning officer, clearly indicates a first preference;

“second preference” means any mark which, in the opinion of the returning officer, clearly indicates a second preference standing in succession to a first preference;

“third preference” means any mark which, in the opinion of the returning officer, clearly indicates a third preference standing in succession to a second preference and so on;

(b) “next available preference” means a preference which, in the opinion of the returning officer, is a second or subsequent preference recorded in consecutive order for a continuing candidate, the preferences next in order on the ballot paper for candidates already deemed to be elected or excluded being disregarded;

“surplus” means the number of votes by which the total number of the votes, original and transferred, credited to any candidate, exceeds the quota;

“transferable paper” means a ballot paper on which, following a first preference, a second or subsequent preference is recorded in consecutive numerical order for a continuing candidate;

“transferred vote” in regard to any candidate, means a vote derived from a ballot paper on which a second or subsequent preference is recorded for that candidate.

(2) Any ballot paper—

(a) which does not bear the official mark; or

(b) on which the figure 1 standing alone, or the word “one” or any other mark which, in the opinion of the returning officer, clearly indicates a first preference, is not placed at all or is not so placed as to indicate a first preference for some candidate; or

(c) on which the figure 1 standing alone indicating a first preference, or the word “one” or any other mark which, in the opinion of the returning officer, clearly indicates a first preference, is set opposite the name of more than one candidate; or

(d) on which anything is written or marked which, in the opinion of the returning officer, is calculated to identify the elector;

shall be invalid and not counted, but the ballot paper shall not be invalid by reason only of carrying the words “one”, “two”, “three” (and so on) or any other mark which, in the opinion of the returning officer, clearly indicates a preference or preferences.

(3) The returning officer shall endorse “rejected” on any ballot paper which under this section is not to be counted. The returning officer shall prepare a statement in such form as may be directed by the Minister showing the number of ballot papers rejected by him under each of the paragraphs (a), (b), (c) and (d) of subsection (2) and shall, on request, allow any candidate or agent of a candidate to copy such statement.

(4) The returning officer may endorse on any ballot paper which he does not reject as invalid an indication of his decision on it without, however, interfering with any mark placed by the elector on the ballot paper.

119 First count.

119.—(1) After the ballot papers have been mixed in accordance with section 114 the returning officer shall, rejecting any that are invalid, arrange them in parcels according to the first preferences recorded for each candidate.

(2) The returning officer shall then count the number of papers in each parcel and credit each candidate with a number of votes equal to the number of valid papers on which a first preference has been recorded for such candidate and he shall ascertain the number of all valid papers.

120 The quota.

120.—(1) The returning officer shall then divide the number of all valid papers by a number exceeding by one the number of vacancies to be filled; the result increased by one, any fractional remainder being disregarded, shall be the number of votes sufficient to secure the election of a candidate and this number is referred to in this Act as “the quota”.

(2) Where at the end of any count the number of votes credited to a candidate is equal to or greater than the quota, that candidate shall be deemed to be elected.

121 Transfer of surplus.

121.—(1) Where at the end of any count the number of votes credited to a candidate is greater than the quota, the surplus shall be transferred in accordance with and subject to the provisions of this section to the continuing candidate or candidates indicated on the ballot papers in the parcel or sub-parcel of the candidate deemed to be elected according to the next available preferences recorded thereon.

(2) Where the votes credited to a candidate deemed to be elected whose surplus is to be transferred consist of original votes only, the returning officer shall examine all the papers in the parcel of that candidate and shall arrange the transferable papers in sub-parcels according to the next available preferences recorded thereon.

(3) Where the votes credited to a candidate deemed to be elected whose surplus is to be transferred consist of original and transferred votes, or of transferred votes only, the returning officer shall examine the papers contained in the sub-parcel last received by that candidate and shall arrange the transferable papers therein in further sub-parcels according to the next available preferences recorded thereon.

(4) In either of the cases referred to in subsections (2) and (3) the returning officer shall make a separate sub-parcel of the non-transferable papers and shall ascertain the number of papers in each sub-parcel of transferable papers and in the sub-parcel of non-transferable papers.

(5) Where—

(a) the surplus is equal to the total number of papers in the sub-parcels of transferable papers, the returning officer shall transfer each sub-parcel of transferable papers to the continuing candidate indicated thereon as the voters’ next available preference,

(b) the surplus is greater than the total number of papers in the sub-parcels of transferable papers, the returning officer shall proceed as specified in paragraph (a) and shall in addition make a sub-parcel of a number of non-transferable papers equal to the difference between such total number and the surplus and set the papers therein aside as finally dealt with, such papers being, for the purposes of section 127 (1), described as non-transferable papers not effective,

and the non-transferable papers or the remaining non-transferable papers, as the case may be, also arranged as a sub-parcel shall be placed with the papers of the candidate deemed to be elected.

(6) Where the surplus is less than the total number of transferable papers the following provisions shall apply:

(a) the returning officer shall transfer from each sub-parcel oftransferable papers to the continuing candidate indicated thereon as the voters’ next available preference that number of papers which bears the same proportion to the number of papers in the sub-parcel as the surplus bears to the total number of transferable papers,

(b) the number of papers to be transferred from each sub-parcel shall be ascertained by multiplying the number of papers in the sub-parcel by the surplus and dividing the result by the total number of transferable papers,

(c) a note shall be made of the fractions (which may be expressed in decimal form), if any, in each quotient ascertained in respect of each candidate in accordance with paragraph (b) and if, owing to the existence of such fractions, the number of papers to be transferred is less than the surplus, so many of these fractions taken in the order of their magnitude (beginning with the largest) as are necessary to make the total number of papers to be transferred equal to the surplus shall be reckoned as of the value of unity and the remaining fractions shall be disregarded,

(d) where two or more fractions are of equal magnitude, and it is not possible for the purposes of paragraph (c) to reckon all of the said fractions as of the value of unity, that fraction shall be deemed to be the largest which arises from the largest sub-parcel, and if such sub-parcels are equal in size, that fraction shall be deemed to be the largest which relates to the candidate credited with the largest number of original votes. Where the numbers of such original votes are equal, regard shall be had to the total number of votes credited to such candidates at the first count at which they were credited with an unequal number of votes, and the fraction relating to the candidate credited with the greatest number of votes at that count shall be deemed to be the largest. Where the numbers of votes credited to such candidates were equal at all counts the returning officer shall determine by lot which fraction shall be deemed to be the largest.

(7) The papers to be transferred from each sub-parcel shall be those last filed in the sub-parcel, and each paper so transferred shall be marked to indicate the number of the count at which the transfer took place.

(8) The returning officer need not necessarily transfer the surplus of a candidate deemed to be elected whenever that surplus, together with any other surplus not transferred, is less than both the difference between the quota and the number of votes credited to the highest continuing candidate and the difference between the numbers of the votes credited to the two lowest continuing candidates and either—

(a) the number of votes credited to the lowest candidate is greater than one quarter of the quota, or

(b) the sum of the number of votes credited to the lowest candidate together with that surplus and any other surplus not transferred is not greater than one quarter of the quota.

(9) Where at any time there are two or more surpluses which are to be transferred, the greater or greatest of such surpluses shall first be transferred and the remaining surplus or surpluses shall then,subject to subsection (8), be transferred in the order of their descending magnitude.

(10) Where two or more candidates have each an equal surplus arising from the same count regard shall be had to the number of original votes credited to each candidate and the surplus of the candidate credited with the largest number of original votes shall be first dealt with. Where the numbers of such original votes are equal regard shall be had to the total number of votes credited to such candidates at the first count at which they had an unequal number of votes and the surplus of the candidate with the greatest number of votes at that count shall be first dealt with. Where the numbers of votes credited to such candidates were equal at all counts the returning officer shall determine by lot which surplus he will first deal with.

(11) Subject to subsections (8) and (9), where two or more candidates have a surplus arising from different counts, a surplus which arises at the end of any count shall be transferred before a surplus which arises at a subsequent count.

122 Exclusion of candidate.

122.—(1) If at any time no candidate has a surplus (or when under section 121 (8) an existing surplus is not transferred) and one or more vacancies remain unfilled, the returning officer shall—

(a) exclude the candidate credited with the lowest number of votes and examine all the papers of that candidate;

(b) arrange the transferable papers in sub-parcels according to the next available preferences recorded thereon for continuing candidates and transfer each sub-parcel to the candidate for whom the preference is recorded;

(c) make a separate sub-parcel of the non-transferable papers and set them aside as finally dealt with, such papers being, for the purposes of section 127 (1), described as non-transferable papers not effective.

(2) Where the total of the votes of the two or more lowest candidates together with any surplus not transferred is less than the number of votes credited to the next highest candidate, the returning officer shall in one operation exclude such two or more lowest candidates provided that—

(a) the number of votes credited to the second lowest candidate is greater than one quarter of the quota, or

(b) where the number of votes credited to any one of such two or more lowest candidates does not exceed one quarter of the quota, it is clear that the exclusion of the candidates separately in accordance with subsection (1) and the transfer of any untransferred surplus could not result in a number of votes exceeding one quarter of the quota being credited to any such candidate.

(3) If, when a candidate has to be excluded under this section, two or more candidates have each the same number of votes and are lowest, regard shall be had to the number of original votes credited to each of those candidates, and the candidate with the lowest number of original votes shall be excluded and where the numbers of the original votes are equal, regard shall be had to the total numbers of votes credited to those candidates at the first count at which they had an unequal number of votes and the candidate with the lowest numberof votes at that count shall be excluded and, where the numbers of votes credited to those candidates were equal at all counts, the returning officer shall determine by lot which shall be excluded.

123 Transfer of votes.

123.—(1) Where a transfer of votes is made under section 121 or 122, each sub-parcel of papers transferred shall be placed on top of the parcel, if any, of papers of the candidate to whom the transfer is made, and that candidate shall be credited with a number of votes equal to the number of papers transferred to him.

(2) If after any transfer a candidate has a surplus, that surplus shall be dealt with in accordance with and subject to the provisions of section 121 before any other candidate is excluded.

124 Filling of last vacancies.

124.—(1) When the number of continuing candidates is equal to the number of vacancies remaining unfilled, the continuing candidates shall thereupon be deemed to be elected.

(2) When only one vacancy remains unfilled, and the votes of some one continuing candidate exceed the total of all the votes of the other continuing candidates together with any surplus not transferred, that candidate shall thereupon be deemed to be elected.

(3) When the last vacancies can be filled under this section no further transfer of votes shall be made unless any of the continuing candidates has not been credited with a number of votes exceeding one quarter of the quota and it is necessary for the purposes of section 48 (1) (e) to make such transfer in order to establish whether such a number of votes could be credited to him.

125 Recount.

125.—(1) Any candidate or the election agent of a candidate may, at the conclusion of any count, request the returning officer to re-examine and recount all or any of the papers dealt with during that count, and the returning officer shall re-examine and recount such papers accordingly without making any alterations in the arrangement of the papers in the various parcels, save where such alterations may be necessary in consequence of any error discovered in the recount. Nothing in this subsection shall make it obligatory on the returning officer to re-examine or recount the same parcel of papers more than once.

(2) The returning officer may at his discretion recount papers either once or more often in any case in which he is not satisfied as to the accuracy of any count. The power under this subsection of a returning officer to recount papers shall extend to papers dealt with at an earlier count than the immediately preceding one.

(3) (a) As respects each candidate, one request (and not more) may be made by him or his election agent for a complete re-examination and recount of all parcels of ballot papers and the returning officer shall re-examine and recount the parcels of ballot papers accordingly.

(b) In the re-examination and recount, the number or order of ballot papers in any parcel shall not be disturbed.

(c) Nothing in the provisions of this subsection shall make it obligatory on the returning officer to re-examine or recount the same parcel of papers more than once, but if an error is discovered which is, in the opinion of the returning officer, a significant error likely to affect the result of the election, the returning officer shall count all the papers afresh from the point at which the error occurred.

(d) Nothing in this subsection shall make it obligatory on the returning officer to comply with a request by a candidate or his election agent which, in the opinion of the returning officer, is frivolous or vexatious.

(e) A request under this subsection may be made only at the conclusion of a count.

(4) Where an error is discovered, the returning officer shall, where necessary, amend any results previously announced by him.

(5) Where a request made under subsection (3) is withdrawn by the candidate as respects whom it is made or by the election agent of the said candidate, it shall be open to the returning officer not to proceed, or proceed further with the re-examination and recount.

126 Declaration of result of the poll.

126.—On the completion of the counting of the votes the returning officer shall determine and declare the result of the poll and the candidates deemed to be elected shall thereupon stand elected.

127 Notice of result of election.

127.—(1) The returning officer shall give public notice in the form directed by the Minister of the names and descriptions of the candidates elected and, in the case of a contested election, of the total number of votes given for each candidate, whether elected or not, of any transfer of votes and of the total number of votes credited to each candidate at the end of the count at which such transfer took place.

(2) The returning officer shall send a copy of the notice referred to in subsection (1) to the Minister and to each person elected and shall send a copy of the statement referred to in section 114 (2) to the Minister.

128 Decision of returning officer.

128.—The decision of the returning officer, whether expressed or implied by his acts, on any question which arises in relation to the exclusion of any candidate under section 122 or to any ballot paper or transfer of votes shall be final, subject only to reversal on a petition questioning the Dáil election.

PART XX Retention, Inspection and Disposal of Documents

129 Retention and disposal of documents.

129.—(1) On the completion of the counting of the votes, the returning officer shall place in separate sealed packets—

(a) the counted ballot papers,

(b) the ballot papers rejected at the counting of the votes,

(c) the unused and spoilt ballot papers, and

(d) the counterfoils of ballot papers issued at polling stations,

and shall mark on each packet particulars of its contents, the date of the polling day at the election and the constituency to which they relate.

(2) The returning officer shall also place in separate sealed packets—

(a) the marked copies of the register of Dáil electors,

(b) the ballot paper accounts and the statement prepared in accordance with section 114,

(c) the candidates’ nomination papers, whether valid or invalid, and the certificates of political affiliation, and

(d) the authorisations to electors to vote at other polling stations,

and shall mark on each packet particulars of its contents, the date of the polling day at the election and the constituency to which they relate and shall as soon as practicable forward the documents referred to in this section, in section 76 and in section 83 (2) to the Clerk of theDáil.

(3) The documents referred to in this section including those referred to in sections 76 and 83 shall be retained by the Clerk of the Dáil for 6 months from the date of the poll at the election. At the expiration of the said period the Clerk of the Dáil shall, unless otherwise directed by an order of the High Court or he has reason to believe that the documents may be required for a purpose referred to in section 130 (3), cause the documents to be destroyed.

130 Inspection of ballot papers etc.