Page:Representation of the Peoples Act 1918 (ukpga 19180064).pdf/49

1918. FIFTH SCHEDULE

Returning Officer.

1. The returning officer shall be—

(a) in the case of the Oxford, Cambridge, and London University constituencies respectively the Vice-Chancellor of the university;

(b) in the case of the Dublin University Constituency, the Provost of Trinity College;

(c) in the case of the combined English university constituency, the Vice-Chancellor, Principal, or Corresponding Officer of such university, being one of the combined universities as may be from time to time appointed by the Board of Education for that purpose; and

(d) in the case of the constituency of the University of Wales, the Vice-Chancellor of the university;

and the writ for any election of a member or members for Parliament for a university constituency shall be directed to the returning officer of that constituency.

2. It shall be the duty of the returning officer to make all arrangements for the election, including arrangements for the nomination of candidates, and the poll and counting of votes, and to certify the result of the election in pursuance of the writ.

Nomination.

3. The nomination shall take place on such day and at such time and pince as may be fixed by the returning officer, being not less than four days and not more than twelve days after the receipt of the writ, and the returning officer shall give public notice of the day, time, and place so fixed within two days after he receives the writ.

4. The candidate must be nominated in writing by two electors as proposer and seconder and by eight other electors as assenting to the nomination, and his nomination must be delivered to the returning officer by same elector.

5. If, at the expiration of the time fixed for nomination, no more candidates are nominated than there are vacancies to be filled up, there turning officer shall declare the candidates who stand nominated to be elected and certify the result of the election accordingly.

6. If, at the expiration of the time fixed for nomination, more candidates stand nominated than there are vacancies to be filled up, the returning officer shall arrange for a post to be taken.

7. A candidate may be withdrawn in manner provided by regulations made under this Act, and if, owing to the withdrawal of a candidate after nomination, a poll becomes unnecessary, the returning officer shall countermand the poll and declare any candidate elected whose nomination remains standing.

8. If one of the candidates nominated dies after he has been nominated and before the commencement of the poll, the returning officer shall countermand the poll and other proceedings for the election and commence the same again as if the writ had been received by him on the day on which he is satisfied of the fact that the death took place.