Opening of ballot boxes
31.—(1)  Before the Returning Officer proceeds to count the votes, he or a person authorised by him shall carry out, in the presence of such of the candidates and their counting agents as attend, the following at the counting place for overseas votes:
(a)arrange all the ballot boxes received according to their overseas polling stations;
(b)subject to paragraph (2), open every ballot box from each overseas polling station that is received; and
(c)take all the ballot papers out from the opened ballot boxes.
[S 265/2017 wef 01/06/2017]
(2)  The Returning Officer must not open any ballot box from an overseas polling station that reaches the custody of the Returning Officer in Singapore —
(a)after the deadline specified in section 32A(1)(a) of the Act; or
(b)where the Returning Officer extends time under section 32A(2) of the Act, after the extended deadline.
[S 265/2017 wef 01/06/2017]