“count” means all the operations involved in counting of the first preferences recorded for candidates, the transfer of the surpluses of elected candidates, and the transfer of the votes of the excluded candidates, “deemed to be elected” means deemed to be elected for the purposes of counting of votes but without prejudice to the declaration of the result of the poll, “mark” means a figure, an identifiable written word, or a mark such as “X”, “non-transferable vote” means a ballot document: on which no second or subsequent preference is recorded for a continuing candidate, or which is excluded by the returning officer under rule STV49, “preference” as used in the following contexts has the meaning assigned below: “first preference” means the figure “1” or any mark or word which clearly indicates a first (or only) preference, (b) “next available preference” means a preference which is the second, or as the case may be, subsequent preference recorded in consecutive order for a continuing candidate (any candidate who is deemed to be elected or is excluded thereby being ignored); and in this context, a “second preference” is shown by the figure “2” or any mark or word which clearly indicates a second preference, and a third preference by the figure “3” or any mark or word which clearly indicates a third preference, and so on, “quota” means the number calculated in accordance with rule STV46, “surplus” means the number of votes by which the total number of votes for any candidate (whether first preference or transferred votes, or a combination of both) exceeds the quota; but references in these rules to the transfer of the surplus means the transfer (at a transfer value) of all transferable ballot documents from the candidate who has the surplus, “stage of the count” means: (a) the determination of the first preference vote of each candidate, (b) the transfer of a surplus of a candidate deemed to be elected, or (c) the exclusion of one or more candidates at any given time, “transferable vote” means a ballot document on which, following a first preference, a second or subsequent preference is recorded in consecutive numerical order for a continuing candidate, “transferred vote” means a vote derived from a ballot document on which a second or subsequent preference is recorded for the candidate to whom that ballot document has been transferred, and
“transfer value” means the value of a transferred vote calculated in accordance with rules STV47.4 or STV47.7. 42. Arrangements for counting of the votes 42.1 The returning officer is to make arrangements for counting the votes as soon as is practicable after the close of the poll. 42.2 The returning officer may make arrangements for any votes to be counted using vote counting software where: (a) the board of directors and the council of governors of the corporation have approved: the use of such software for the purpose of counting votes in the relevant election, and a policy governing the use of such software, and (b) the corporation and the returning officer are satisfied that the use of such software will produce an accurate result. 43. The count 43.1 The returning officer is to: (a) count and record the number of: ballot papers that have been returned; and the number of internet voting records, telephone voting records and/or text voting records that have been created, and (b) count the votes according to the provisions in this Part of the rules and/or the provisions of any policy approved pursuant to rule 42.2(ii) where vote counting software is being used. 43.2 The returning officer, while counting and recording the number of ballot papers, internet voting records, telephone voting records and/or text voting records and counting the votes, must make arrangements to ensure that no person obtains or communicates information as to the unique identifier on a ballot paper or the voter ID number on an internet voting record, telephone voting record or text voting record. 43.3 The returning officer is to proceed continuously with counting the votes as far as is practicable. STV44. Rejected ballot papers and rejected text voting records STV44.1 Any ballot paper: (a) which does not bear the features that have been incorporated into the other ballot papers to prevent them from being reproduced, (b) on which the figure “1” standing alone is not placed so as to indicate a first preference for any candidate,