Canada Elections Act

Marginal note:Appointment of deputy returning officer and poll clerk

• 273 (1) The returning officer shall appoint a deputy returning officer and poll clerk to verify the outer envelopes and to count the special ballots issued to electors in his or her electoral district and received in his or her office. More than one deputy returning officer and poll clerk may be appointed if the number of votes warrants it.

• Marginal note:Assignment of duties

  (2) The returning officer shall assign duties so that a deputy returning officer chosen from among the persons recommended by the registered party whose candidate finished first in the last election in the electoral district works with a poll clerk chosen from among the persons recommended by the registered party whose candidate finished second in that election in that electoral district.

• Marginal note:Merger of parties

  (3) For the purpose of subsection (2), in determining whether the candidate of a registered party finished first or second in the last election in a case where the registered party is the result of a merger with one or more parties that were registered parties at the last election, there shall be attributed to the candidate of the merged party, the number of votes of the candidate of the merging party with the largest number of votes at that last election.

• Marginal note:Notification to candidates

  (4) The returning officer shall, as soon as possible, notify the candidates of the name and address of the persons appointed as the deputy returning officer and the poll clerk.