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Appointment of polling districts and polling places.
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14.—(1) The Minister shall as soon as conveniently may be after the passing of this Act make rules for the performance by the councils of counties and county boroughs of the duties imposed or powers conferred on them by this section in relation to polling districts and polling places.
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(2) The council of every county and county borough shall within three months after the said rules have been made by the Minister prepare and submit to the Minister in accordance with the said rules a scheme for the division of every local electoral area in their county or county borough into polling districts and the appointment of polling places in every such polling district in such manner as to give to all local government electors in every such local electoral area such reasonable facilities for voting as are practicable.
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(3) The council of a county when preparing or amending a scheme under this section shall consult in accordance with the said rules with the council of every borough (other than a county borough) and urban district and the commissioners of every town in their county in respect of so much of such scheme or amendment as relates to such borough, urban district, or town.
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(4) The Minister shall consider every scheme duly submitted to him by a council under this section and shall within one month after such scheme is so submitted to him either, as he shall think fit, confirm such scheme without alteration or confirm such scheme with such alterations as he may think proper to make therein or refuse to confirm such scheme.
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(5) If the council of any county or county borough fails to submit to the Minister within the time limited by this section any such scheme as is required by this section or if the Minister refuses to confirm the scheme so submitted by such council, the Minister shall himself prepare and confirm such scheme for such county or county borough as is required by this section.
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(6) Every scheme duly confirmed by the Minister under this section shall have effect when and as so confirmed and thenceforth every local electoral area in the county or county borough to which such scheme relates shall be divided into polling districts and polling places shall be appointed therein in accordance with such scheme.
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(7) The council of a county or county borough may at any time amend the scheme then in force under this section in relation to their county or county borough and every such amendment if approved by the Minister shall have effect as from the date of such approval.
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(8) If the council of a borough (other than a county borough) or urban district or the commissioners of a town or not less than thirty local government electors in a county or county borough satisfy the Minister that the polling districts or polling places in the county or county borough in which such borough, urban district, or town is situate or in which such electors are entitled to vote do not meet the reasonable requirements of the local government electors in such county or county borough or in some particular part thereof, the Minister may require the council of such county or county borough to amend the scheme then in force in such county or county borough under this section and if such council does not within one month after being so required duly make in such scheme all such amendments as the Minister considers to be necessary and approves of the Minister may himself amend such scheme as he thinks proper and every amendment so made by the Minister shall have effect as from the date of the making thereof.
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(9) Every scheme duly confirmed by the Minister under this section and every amendment of a scheme duly approved of or made by the Minister under this section shall be published in such manner as shall be prescribed by the said rules to be made by the Minister under this section.
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(10) The Minister may hold such inquiries as he may consider necessary or expendient for the purposes of this section and Article 32 of the Local Government (Application of Enactments) Order, 1898 shall apply to every such inquiry.
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(11) No election shall be questioned on the ground of any non-compliance with the provisions of this section or any informality in relation to polling districts or polling places.
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