New South Wales Consolidated Acts

ELECTORAL ACT 2017 - SECT 177

177 Temporary suspension of voting

(1) Without limiting section 176, a voting centre manager may temporarily suspend voting for a period not exceeding 4 hours at a voting centre on election day if the voting centre manager considers that it is necessary to do so because of--

(a) a riot or open violence, or

(b) a serious threat of a riot or open violence occurring, or

(c) a storm, tempest, flood or other similar event, or

(d) a health hazard, or

(e) a fire or the activation of a fire alarm or fire safety equipment, or

(f) any other reason which the voting centre manager considers--

(i) may affect the safety of electors, or

(ii) may interrupt or obstruct the proper conduct of voting.

(2) The voting centre manager must ensure that any person who attends the voting centre during the period that voting is temporarily suspended is provided with information to assist the person to vote, including the following--

(a) the time at which the voting centre is expected to re-open,

(b) the location of other voting centres.

(3) If--

(a) for any reason the voting centre cannot be re-opened for voting on election day, or

(b) the Electoral Commissioner is of the opinion that any person who would have voted at the voting centre could not reasonably have voted at another voting centre,

the Electoral Commissioner must adjourn the conduct of the election at the voting centre in accordance with section 176.