Commonwealth Numbered Acts

REFERENDUM (MACHINERY PROVISIONS) ACT 1984 No. 44, 1984 - SECT 17

17. (1) Each Divisional Returning Officer shall, for the purposes of a
referendum-

   (a)  provide and equip proper polling booths and provide ballot-boxes; and

   (b)  provide ballot-papers and all necessary certified lists of voters.

(2) The Electoral Commission shall, for the purposes of a referendum, appoint
a presiding officer to preside at each polling place and all necessary
assistant presiding officers and poll clerks, and such appointments shall
terminate upon the completion of the referendum.

(3) In any emergency on the voting day for a referendum due to the absence of
any assistant presiding officer or poll clerk, or to any unforeseen and
continued pressure at the voting that cannot be met by the duly appointed
officers, a presiding officer may appoint any person to act as assistant
presiding officer or poll clerk, and a person so appointed shall, if the
Electoral Commission afterwards ratifies the appointment, be deemed to have
been duly appointed.

(4) A person who is under the age of 18 years shall not be appointed to be a
presiding officer or an assistant presiding officer.

(5) An assistant presiding officer may, subject to the directions of the
presiding officer, exercise all or any of the powers of the presiding officer,
and shall, in respect of the exercise of those powers, be deemed to be the
presiding officer.