The Local Authorities (Conduct of Referendums) (Wales) Regulations 2008

Attendance at counting of votes E+W

35.—(1) The counting officer must make arrangements for counting the votes in the presence of the counting observers as soon as practicable after the close of the poll, and must give to the counting observers notice in writing of the time and place at which the counting officer will begin to count the votes.

(2) No person other than—

(a) the counting officer and the counting officer's clerks,

(b) the counting observers,

(c) the elected mayor, if any, of the council in respect of which the referendum is held,

(d) the petition organisers, and

(e) persons who are entitled to attend by virtue of any of sections 6A to 6D of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000,

may be present at the counting of the votes, unless permitted by the counting officer to attend.

(3) A person not entitled to attend at the counting of the votes is not permitted to do so by the counting officer unless the counting officer is satisfied that the efficient counting of the votes will not be impeded.

(4) The counting officer must give the counting observers all such reasonable facilities for overseeing the proceedings, and all such information with respect to them, as the counting officer can give them consistently with the orderly conduct of the proceedings and the discharge of the counting officer's duties in connection with them.

(5) In particular, where the votes are counted by sorting the ballot papers according to the answer for which the vote is given and then counting the number of ballot papers for each answer, the counting observers are entitled to satisfy themselves that the ballot papers are correctly sorted.