Paragraph 36 Statutory polls

A statutory poll shall be taken in accordance with the provisions of this section.

The returning officer shall be such person as the Minister may, on the application of the Board, appoint. The remuneration and expenses of the returning officer shall be defrayed by the Board.

The returning officer may by writing under his hand appoint any fit person or persons to be his deputy or deputies for all or any of the purposes of the poll. A deputy returning officer shall have the powers and duties of the returning officer in relation to the matters in respect of which he is appointed to act as a deputy.

The Board shall furnish to the returning officer a list of the names and addresses of the registered producers who are entitled to vote on the poll.

The producers who are entitled to vote shall be the producers who are registered on such day as may be determined by the Board (hereinafter referred to as the “qualifying date”).

The poll shall be conducted by post and the returning officer shall, not later than the 14th day after the qualifying date, send a voting paper to every producer entitled to vote. In the event of the loss of a voting paper so sent the returning officer may supply a duplicate voting paper.

The voting paper shall be substantially in the form set out in Schedule (2) hereto, and only voting papers which are properly completed and which reach the office of the returning officer at or before 18.00 hours on the 28th day after the qualifying date shall be taken into account. Any person who knowingly makes any false statement in a voting paper shall be liable, on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a period not exceeding 3 months or to a fine not exceeding £100, or to both such imprisonment and fine.

For the purpose of any statutory poll the basis of determining the capacity of a registered producer to produce milk shall be the number of cows in his possession in the area of the Scheme at 12.00 hours on the qualifying date.

The votes given on any poll shall be counted by the returning officer and his decision on any question arising with respect to any vote shall be final and conclusive.

The returning officer shall draw up and deliver to the Minister and the Board a certificate showing the result of the poll, and including particulars of the number of voting papers sent out by the returning officer, the number of voting papers received by him timeously, the number of such papers which were rejected because they were not properly completed, and the number of registered producers who voted in favour of the amendment or revocation, as the case may be, of the Scheme and against it respectively, and the number of cows in their possession respectively in the area of the Scheme at 12.00 hours on the qualifying date.

The result of the poll as shown in the certificate given by the returning officer shall be published inThe Glasgow Herald, The Scotsman, The Courier and Advertiser, and such other newspapers as the Board may think fit.