Northern Territory Consolidated Acts Northern Territory Consolidated Acts(1) An officer conducting a determination of the results of a referendum must:
(a) open the ballot-boxes under his or her control;
(b) notwithstanding paragraphs (c) to (f) inclusive, if he or she is not the Divisional Returning Officer for the division in respect of which the vote on a ballot-paper contained in an envelope is cast – transmit, unopened, all envelopes containing those ballot-papers received by him or her to the Divisional Returning Officers for the divisions in respect of which the votes on those ballot-papers are cast;
(c) place all informal ballot-papers in a parcel;
(d) arrange all formal ballot-papers in the votes in favour of the question and those against the question;
(e) count the votes on the formal ballot-papers;
(f) make and sign a statement setting out the number of:
(i) votes in favour of the question and votes against the question; and
(ii) informal votes;
(g) if he or she is not the Divisional Returning Officer for the division in respect of which the votes were cast – transmit the information contained in the statement referred to in paragraph (f) to the Divisional Returning Officer for the division in respect of which the votes were cast;
(h) place all formal ballot-papers referred to in paragraph (d) in separate parcels according to whether to votes are in favour or against the question;
(j) seal up the parcels referred to in paragraphs (c) and (h) and endorse on each parcel a statement of the contents; and
(k) if he or she is not the Divisional Returning Officer for the division in respect of which votes were cast – transmit to the Divisional Returning Officer referred to in paragraph (g), as soon as is practicable, all the parcels and statements.
(2) A scrutineer may sign:
(a) a statement referred to in subsection (1)(f); and
(b) any parcels referred to in subsection (1)(h).
(3) The Divisional Returning Officer for the division in respect of which the votes on ballot-papers, used for voting under Division 5 or section 36, are cast, must examine, count and deal with those ballot-papers in the prescribed manner.