ELECTORAL ACT ____________________________________________________________________________________ (2) The Commission shall without delay provide the following information to all political parties and candidates contesting an election, and to all observers— (a) where and by whom the ballot papers for the election have been or are being printed; and (b) the total number of ballot papers that have been printed for the election; and (c) the number of ballot papers that have been distributed to each polling station. [Section inserted by s. 17 of Act No. 3 of 2012 and amended by Second Schedule to Act No. 3 of 2016] 53 Hours polling stations to be open (1) A polling station shall be open continuously from 7.00 a.m. to 7.00 p.m. on a polling day: Provided that if for good cause the constituency elections officer determines that it is not possible to open a polling station at 7.00 a.m., he or she shall fix such later opening time as will enable him or her to keep the polling station open for at least twelve hours continuously on a polling day. (2) For the purpose of fixing the hours in terms of subsection (1), the constituency elections officer may designate some polling stations as urban stations and others as rural stations and may fix different hours for each such station. (3) The presiding officer shall permit every voter who, at the time fixed in terms of this section for the closing of the polling station concerned, is in the queue of persons waiting to cast their votes, to record his or her vote before closing the polling station. 54 The ballot box (1) Not more than thirty minutes before the commencement of the poll at any polling station, or before the commencement of the poll on the first polling day where voting is to take place over two or more days, the presiding officer shall— (a) satisfy himself or herself that the ballot box to be used at the polling station is empty; and (b) show the interior of the empty ballot box to such persons entitled in terms of paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section fifty-five to attend at the polling station as are present; and (c) immediately thereafter close and seal the ballot box in accordance with instructions issued by the Commission. (2) If for any reason it becomes necessary at any time during the polling period to use an additional ballot box at any polling station, subsection (1) shall apply, with any changes that may be necessary, before that ballot box is so used. (3) A ballot box closed and sealed as provided in subsection (1) or (2) shall not be opened and the seal shall not be broken except in accordance with section sixty-two. (4) The presiding officer at a polling station shall— (a) at the close of the poll, or at the close of the poll on each polling day, as the case may be, close and seal the aperture in the ballot box used at the polling station; and (b) break the seal and open the aperture only for the purpose of counting the votes, or at the commencement of the poll on the next succeeding polling day, as the case may be; in accordance with instructions issued by the Commission and in the presence of such persons entitled in terms of paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section fifty-five to attend at the polling station as are present. (5) The ballot box used in or at a polling station shall be placed in a position where it can be seen by the presiding officer or a polling officer designated by him or her at all times during the continuance of the poll. (6) The presiding officer shall be responsible for the safe-keeping of any ballot box used at his or her polling station until it is delivered to the appropriate constituency elections officer. 76