Electoral (Amendment) Act 2004

Interpretation.

4

4. —(1) In this Part—

“Act of 1992” means the Electoral Act 1992;

“Act of 1993” means the Presidential Elections Act 1993;

“Act of 1994” means the Referendum Act 1994;

“Act of 1997” means the European Parliament Elections Act 1997;

“Act of 2001” means the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2001;

“Regulations of 1995” means the Local Elections Regulations 1995 (S.I. No. 297 of 1995);

“cartridge or disc” means a device that is used in a voting machine to record each vote;

“election” means, as the context may require, a Presidential election, a European election or a local election;

“electronic” includes electrical, digital, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic and any other form of related technology;

“electronic voting system” means a voting system in which the votes are recorded and automatically counted and the results automatically tabulated by use of electronically operated apparatus;

“enactment” includes an instrument made under an enactment;

“relevant Act or Regulations” means, as appropriate, the Act of 1993, the Act of 1994, the Act of 1997 or the Regulations of 1995;

“returning officer” means, as the context may require, a returning officer for the election or referendum concerned including a local returning officer;

“voting machine” means an apparatus on which voters cast their votes, that records each vote, and that furnishes a total of the number of votes cast on the machine at an election or at a referendum;

“voting system” means a method of casting and counting votes that is designed to function wholly or partly by use of mechanical, electro-mechanical or electronic apparatus and includes the procedures for casting and counting votes and the programmes, operating manuals, printouts and other software necessary for the system's operation;

“voting system equipment” means any kind of mechanical, electro-mechanical or electronic apparatus for use in a voting system.

(2) Where a section of the Act of 1992 is applied to a referendum by any provision of the Act of 1994, including any such section as modified and applied by Part 3 of the Act of 2001, each such section shall be deemed to be applied to the conduct of a referendum in a constituency in accordance with this Act.

(3) Where a section of the Act of 1992 is applied to a presidential election by any provision of the Act of 1993, including any such section as modified and applied by Part 3 of the Act of 2001, each such section shall be deemed to be applied to the conduct of a presidential election in a constituency in accordance with this Act.