Every person commits an offence who—

A person who commits an offence against subsection (1) is liable to a fine—

When a local authority has made a determination under section 66(1A), the Returning Officer must ensure that voting papers received before the close of voting are processed under sections 73B to 73E.

Subsection (1) does not require the Returning Officer to ensure the taking of any particular step in section 73B(4) in relation to a voting paper in the 84 hours before the close of voting, if the Returning Officer decides, on reasonable grounds, that it is not efficient to take that step in relation to that voting paper in that period.

Any step in section 73B(4) that, in relation to a voting paper, is started but not completed at the close of voting must be completed after the close of voting under the applicable paragraph in that subsection.

If the processing of a voting paper under section 73B is not completed at the close of voting, the processing of the voting paper must be completed after the close of voting under whichever of subsections (2) to (6) of section 77 are then applicable to it.

In order to implement a determination under section 66(1A), the Returning Officer must—

The following provisions apply to a scrutiny of the roll to which subsection (1)(a) applies:

Every step taken under subsection (4)—

The steps referred to in subsections (1) to (3) are to—

If the total numbers of votes are to be ascertained manually after the close of voting, a vote on a voting paper to which this section applies must not be recorded, either manually or electronically, before the close of voting.

The Returning Officer must take all practicable measures to ensure that, in the period between the starting of the steps in section 73B(4) and the close of voting,—

The Returning Officer must keep every ballot box referred to in section 73B(2)(C) or (4)(g) in the manner specified in section 75(2).

The Returning Officer may open any such ballot box, and may take a voting paper from it, for a purpose connected with the scrutiny of the roll. As soon as practicable after doing so, the Returning Officer must return the voting paper to a ballot box provided under section 75(1).

The Returning Officer must take all practicable measures to ensure that no person, other than the Returning Officer acting under subsection (3), opens any such ballot box before the close of voting.

The Returning Officer must take all practicable measures to ensure that—

No scrutineer may be present when any step in section 73B(4) is being taken in the 84 hours before the close of voting.

Any scrutineer to whom section 74(3) applies may be present when—

The Returning Officer must appoint at least 1 Justice of the Peace, and may appoint as many additional Justices as the Returning Officer considers necessary, to observe the processing of voting papers under sections 73B to 73D.

To be eligible for appointment, a Justice must—

At least 1 Justice appointed under subsection (1) must be present when any step in section 73B(4) is being taken in the 84 hours before the close of voting or is being completed after the close of voting.

Every Justice appointed under subsection (1) must give a certificate to the Returning Officer stating whether or not the Justice is satisfied that sections 73B to 73D were complied with while the Justice was observing the processing of voting papers.

A Justice who gives a certificate stating that he or she is not satisfied that sections 73B to 73D were complied with must attach a report to the certificate setting out any way in which the sections were not complied with.

After the close of voting, section 77(1) and (7) to (10) apply, with all necessary modifications, to voting papers that have been processed under sections 73A(4) to 73E.

When a local authority has not made a determination under section 66(1A),—