Returning Officer

In various parliamentary systems, a returning officer is responsible for overseeing elections in one or more constituencies.

In Australia a returning officer is an employee of the Australian Electoral Commission or a State Electoral Commission who heads the local divisional office full-time, and oversees elections in their division, or an employee of a private firm which carries out elections and/or ballots in the private and/or public sectors, or anyone who carries out any election and/or ballot for any group or groups.

In Canada, at the federal level, the returning officer of an electoral district is appointed for a ten-year term by the Chief Electoral Officer. The returning officer is responsible for handling the electoral process in the riding, and updating the National Register of Electors with current information about voters in the electoral district to which they are appointed. Before enactment of the Canada Elections Act in 2000, in the case of a tie between the two leading candidates in an election, the returning officer would cast the deciding vote. Since 2000, a tie between two leading candidates automatically results in a by-election.

The provinces and territories of Canada each have their own returning officers.

Germany has a Federal Returning Officer and a returning officer in each State.

In Hong Kong, the returning officer is usually an administrative officer of the government.

Returning officers are part of the Election Commission of India, appointed by the Election Commission of India.

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