Crisis management powers in relation to pre‑count examination of postal voting papers
30.—(1) The Returning Officer may exercise any crisis management power in paragraph (2) if, at any time before or during the pre‑count examination of postal voting papers, the Returning Officer is of the opinion that the pre-count examination of postal voting papers at a counting place for overseas votes is or is likely to be disrupted.
(2) The Returning Officer may —
(a)
temporarily suspend the pre‑count examination at the affected counting place for a specified period (which must not exceed 2 hours), with or without specifying another location for the resumed pre‑count examination;
(b)
adjourn and postpone the pre-count examination at the affected counting place to a specified date (which must not be later than the 56th day after the date of publication of the notice of contested election in the Gazette under section 34(6)(d) or 34A(6)(d) of the Act, as the case may be) and specified time, with or without specifying another location for the resumed pre‑count examination; or
(c)
if the Returning Officer is satisfied that the pre‑count examination at the affected counting place cannot be resumed or completed — wholly abandon the pre‑count examination at the affected counting place.
(3) If the pre-count examination at the affected counting place is wholly abandoned under paragraph (2)(c) and the Returning Officer has made a declaration under section 49(7)(a) or (7E)(a) of the Act for an election in an electoral division —
(a)
the counting of all overseas votes cast for that election (whether at the affected counting place or any other counting place) must also be wholly abandoned;
(b)
polling need not be restarted for that electoral division; and
(c)
if that election is part of a general election —
(i)
the pre-count examination of all postal ballot papers for the general election, and the counting of all overseas votes cast for the general election, must also be wholly abandoned; and
(ii)
the results for the elections in all electoral divisions are to be determined according to the votes cast in Singapore.
(4) If the pre-count examination at the affected counting place is wholly abandoned under paragraph (2)(c) and the Returning Officer has made a declaration under section 49(7)(b) or (7E)(b) of the Act in respect of an election in an electoral division —
(a)
the counting of all overseas votes cast for that election (whether at the affected counting place or any other counting place) must also be wholly abandoned;
(b)
polling must be restarted both in Singapore and overseas for that electoral division;
(c)
the Returning Officer must specify —
(i)
the date, hours and location for the restarted poll in Singapore;
(ii)
the postal voting period for the restarted poll, which must end on the eve of the date for the restarted poll in Singapore;
(iii)
the date and hours of the restarted poll at every overseas polling station; and
(iv)
the date (being 10 days after the date for the restarted poll in Singapore) by which postal ballot papers must be received by the Returning Officer in Singapore to be accepted for counting; and
(d)
if that election is part of a general election —
(i)
the pre-count examination of all postal ballot papers for the general election, and the counting of all overseas votes cast for the general election, must also be wholly abandoned; and
(ii)
the results for the elections in all other electoral divisions are to be determined according to the votes cast in Singapore.
(5) The date specified under paragraph (4)(c)(i) —
(a)
must, if the poll is for an election that is part of a general election, fall within the time delimited by Article 66 of the Constitution for a general election; and
(b)
must not be later than the 56th day after the date of publication of the notice of contested election in the Gazette under section 34(6)(d) or 34A(6)(d) of the Act, as the case may be.