Mauritius: Voting and counting process

Extracted from: Rouikaya Kasenally 2009 "Chapter 8: Mauritius" IN Denis Kadima and Susan Booysen (eds) Compendium of Elections in Southern Africa 1989-2009: 20 Years of Multiparty Democracy, EISA, Johannesburg, 294.

The Representation of the People Act of 1968 spells out in detail the different aspects pertaining to election procedures, thereby ensuring that the exercise is conducted in a free, transparent, fair and professional manner. Voting is seen as a process which requires a whole ensemble of features to make it as unhindered as possible. The above law allows for 'polling agents' (section18) who are appointed by parties or independent candidates and can oversee the running of the voting and counting process. Section 22 of the National Assembly Elections Act of 1968 stipulates that "the poll at each polling station shall take place in the Island of Mauritius, between the hours of 6.00 am and 12.00 noon and of 1.00 pm and 6.00 pm on the same day".

Mauritian elections are conducted through "vote by ballot" (section 19) and each elector is handed a ballot paper and given instructions by the presiding officer as to how to "record a valid vote" (section 34). The counting is conducted "on the next day following the poll" (section 47) and is conducted in the presence of the party and independent candidates and appointed counting agents (section 46). Section 48 of the National Assembly Elections Act (1968) stipulates that counting should be continuous until the exercise is completed. Section 51 makes provision for a recount, although this request must be deemed justifiable by the retuning officer. Once the counting exercise is completed and that "the returning officer has ascertained the result of the poll", the latter can publicly announce the results. These official results are then dispatched to the Electoral Commissioner.

Reference

REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE ACT OF 1968, amended 1976, 1982, 2005.