Commonwealth Consolidated Acts

REFERENDUM (MACHINERY PROVISIONS) ACT 1984 - SECT 41A

             (1)  The presiding officer may temporarily suspend the voting at a referendum for a period if the presiding officer is satisfied that the suspension of voting during that period is justified because of:

                     (a)  riot or open violence; or

                     (b)  the threat of riot or open violence; or

                     (c)  storm, tempest, flood or an occurrence of a similar kind; or

                     (d)  a health hazard; or

                     (e)  a fire or the activation of fire safety equipment (such as sprinklers or alarms); or

                      (f)  any other reason related to:

                              (i)  the safety of voters; or

                             (ii)  difficulties in the physical conduct of the voting.

             (2)  If:

                     (a)  the voting day for a referendum is the same as that fixed for the polling at an election; and

                     (b)  the presiding officer at a polling booth temporarily suspends the polling at the polling booth for a period under section 240A of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 ;

the presiding officer must temporarily suspend the voting at the referendum at the polling booth for the same period.