Commonwealth Consolidated Acts

REFERENDUM (MACHINERY PROVISIONS) ACT 1984 - SECT 29

             (1)  The voting at a referendum shall be conducted as follows:

                     (a)  before any vote is taken at a polling booth, the presiding officer at that polling booth shall exhibit each ballot‑box that is to be used for the referendum empty, and shall then securely fasten its cover;

                     (b)  each polling booth shall open at 8 o'clock in the morning on the voting day and shall not close until all the electors who are present in the polling booth at 6 o'clock in the afternoon on the voting day and who desire to vote at the referendum have voted;

                     (c)  the doors of each polling booth shall be closed at 6 o'clock in the afternoon on the voting day and no person shall be admitted to the polling booth after that hour for the purpose of voting;

                     (d)  except where the scrutiny is to be proceeded with immediately after the close of voting at a polling booth, at the close of the voting each presiding officer at a polling booth shall, in the presence of a polling official and of any scrutineers appointed under section 27 who are at the polling booth, close, fasten, seal and take charge of each ballot‑box used for the referendum and with the least possible delay forward the ballot‑box for the purpose of scrutiny.

             (2)  A ballot‑box used for a referendum shall not be opened except in accordance with this Act or, if the ballot‑box has been used for both the referendum and an election, in accordance with this Act or the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 .