If a

to add "Rejection objected to " if an objection be in fact
made by any agent to his decision. The rejected votes
are to be classified under different heads (rule 36).
vote is rejected on any other ground than those specified in
rule 36, it must be entered under a special head. The re-
turning officer is to make out a report of the rejected
papers so classified.

44. The returning officer is prohibited from voting Vote of except in the case mentioned in sect. 2. In a case of returning equality of votes, if he cannot vote he must make a double

return.

officer.

45 As soon as the result of the poll is ascertained, the Declaration returning officer is to declare elected the candidate or can- of poll and didates for whom the majority of votes have been given, return of

and to return their names to the clerk of the crown in Chancery (s. 2). The return is to be made by a certificate endorsed on the writ (rule 44), and may be sent by post. The indenture by which the return was formerly made is. abolished.

writ.

46. Public notice of the names of the candidates elected Notice of election. and of the total number of votes given for each candidate, is to be given as soon as possible (rules 45, 46).

counting.

47. Upon the completion of the counting, the returning Proceedings officer is to seal up in separate packets the counted and re- at close of jected ballot papers. He is not to open the packets con- Rules 37, 38. taining tendered ballot papers, marked copy of register of voters, or counterfoils, but he is, in the presence of the agents, to verify the ballot paper account in manner directed by rule 37, so as to see that all the ballot papers are accounted for, and that no wrong papers have been introduced, and to make out a report of the result of such verification. The returning officer will finally forward to the clerk of the crown in Chaucery, as the poll books used to be forwarded (see 6 Vict. c. 18, s. 93), his reports made up into a packet and the several packets mentioned in rule 38, taking care to endorse on each packet the description of its contents, the date of the election to which they relate, and the name of the county or borough for which such election was held (rule 38).

Expenses of Election.

48. The necessary expenses of the election will, if pro- Expenses of perly incurred, be payable as heretofore by the candidates election. (s. 8).* The enactment (2 & 3 W. 4. c. 45. s. 71) which formerly fixed the amount payable to deputy returning officers and poll clerks has been repealed. The enactments requiring an indenture for the purpose of the return have

*In the abstract for Scotland the paragraph stops here; it also refers to s. 16 (5)of the Ballot Act.

Application
of Act to
municipal
elections.
ss. 20, 21,
rule 64.

been repealed, and by 7 & 8 W. 3. c. 25. s. 2, a returning officer is prohibited, under a penalty of 500l., from taking any fee or reward for the receipt, return, or execution of any writ.

II. MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.*

49. The provisions of the former law with respect to the nomination at municipal elections, remain unaltered, except that the form of nomination paper is to be similar to that contained in the second schedule.

The above instructions with respect to parliamentary elections apply to municipal elections, subject to the modifications mentioned in sections 20, 21, and rule 64.

The most important of these modifications are as follows:

I. The returning officer is to be the mayor or other person who under the old law presided at the election.

II. The mayor is to provide the polling stations, ballot boxes, stamping instruments, and other necessaries. III. The day of the poll is not changed by the Act. IV. There is no power to take a room compulsorily. V. There is noprovision made for the appointment of any agents for the candidates.

VI. No alteration is made with respect to the burgess roll or ward list.

VII. The casting vote of the returning officer is left to the old law.

VIII. No return is required to be made to the clerk of the crown, and all ballot papers and documents which in the case of a parliamentary election are sent to the clerk of the crown are to be delivered to the town clerk.

IX. The expenses of the election will be defrayed as under the old law.

By section 21 ward assessors are abolished, and the assessors need not be present at elections held before the mayor, but assessors must still be elected for the purpose of the revision of the burgess list.

* In the abstract for Scotland this paragraph is quite different!

2. Last possible day for notice.

3.

4. First possible day for nomination.
5. Last possible day for nomination.

6. First possible day for poll in ordinary
boroughs.

7. First possible day for poll in district boroughs.

boroughs.

12. Last possible day for poll in district boroughs. N.B.-Sundays, Christmas Day, Good Friday, and any public fast or thanksgiving day are not counted (see rule 56).

22. Ballot box.

23. Ballot papers.

24. Stamping instruments.

25. Writing materials.

26. Register books.

27. Declaration of secrecy.

28. Persons entitled to attend at the polling stations.

29. Commencement of poll.

30. Powers and duties of presiding officer during poll.

31. Functions of personation agents.

32. Mode of voting.

33.* Spoilt votes.

34. Mode of voting in exceptional cases.

35. Tendered votes.

36. Proceedings at close of poll.

* In the abstract for Scotland, paragraph 33 relates to personation.

See the paragraph, ante, p. cxliv., note.

37. Time of counting. 38. Agents.

39. Notice to agents.

Counting Votes.

40. Assistants and clerks.

41. Persons entitled to attend.

42. Process of counting.

43. Decision as to the validity of votes. 44. Vote of returning officer.

45. Declaration of poll and return of writ. 46. Notice of election.

47. Proceedings at close of counting.

Expenses of Election.

48. Expenses of election.

II. MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

49. Application of Act to municipal elections.

36 Vict., c. 2.

Ireland.

WHEREAS the chairman of quarter sessions and the justices Polling of the peace having jurisdiction in each county and riding districts, of a county in Ireland assembled at special sessions, appointed and held in pursuance of the provisions of section eighteen of the Ballot Act, 1872, have made orders dividing such counties and ridings respectively into polling districts, and appointing in such districts respectively places for taking the poll at contested elections for members to serve in parliament for such counties respectively; but such orders will not be of any validity until the same are confirmed in manner by the said section prescribed :

And whereas it is expedient to accelerate the confirmation of such orders, and to make such other provisions as are in this Act contained:

Be it therefore enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords spiritual and temporal, and Commons, in this present parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same as follows:

orders.

1. The following provisions with reference to the con- Confirmafirmation of the said orders made before the passing of this tion of Act, and to the publication of the same, shall be in force and have effect, and the same shall, in relation to the said orders, be substituted for the provisions contained in subsections eight, nine, and ten of section eighteen of the Ballot Act, 1872: