18.—(1) The counting officer must appoint persons to observe the counting of the votes and the verification of the ballot paper account (“counting observers”).
(2) Where the counting officer is not the relevant returning or counting officer, he or she must give notice in writing of the appointments of counting observers to that officer as soon as is practicable following the appointment.
(3) For the purpose of assisting the counting officer in the discharge of his or her functions under paragraph (1), a petition organiser may nominate persons who in the opinion of the petition organiser are suitable for appointment as counting observers.
(4) A nomination under paragraph (3) must be made by notice in writing to the counting officer not later than the fifth day before the poll (disregarding any day which is to be disregarded by virtue of rule 4) and the notice must contain the address of each nominee.
(5) Subject to paragraph (6), the counting officer must not, without good cause, decline to appoint as a counting observer a person nominated by a petition organiser under paragraph (3).
(6) The counting officer may limit the number of counting observers, so however that—
(a)the number must be the same in the case of each petition organiser; and
(b)the number allowed to a petition organiser must not (except in special circumstances) be fewer than the number obtained by dividing the number of clerks employed on the counting by the number of petition organisers.
For the purposes of the calculations required by this paragraph, a counting observer who has been appointed on the nomination of more than one petition organiser is a separate counting observer for each of the petition organisers by whom he or she has been nominated.
(7) Where a counting observer appointed on the nomination of a petition organiser dies or becomes incapable of acting, the petition organiser who made the nomination may nominate another person to be appointed as a counting observer in his or her place by giving notice in writing to the counting officer.
(8) Paragraphs (4) and (5) apply to a nomination under paragraph (7), with the substitution in paragraph (4) for “fifth day” of “final day”.
(9) In the following provisions of these Rules references to counting observers shall be taken as references to counting observers whose appointments have been duly made.
(10) Any notice required to be given by the counting officer to a counting observer appointed on the nomination of a petition organiser may be delivered at, or sent by post to, the address stated in the notice of nomination.
(11) A petition organiser may do any act or thing which any counting observer is authorised to do, or may assist any counting observer appointed on his or her nomination in doing any such act or thing.
(12) Where by these Rules any act or thing is required or authorised to be done in the presence of the counting observers, the non-attendance of any such person at the time and place appointed for the purpose shall not, if the act or thing is otherwise duly done, invalidate the act or thing done.