Section 78, The Public Elections Act, 2022

(1) A Presiding Officer at a polling station shall, at theexpiration of the hours of voting prescribed under section 72, on the day appointed for an election under section 56 - (a) close the polling station, as soon as is practicable, in the presence of Polling Agents or observers; (b) package, each sealed with his own seal and arranged for the counting of votes at the polling station- (i) the ballot boxes used in the polling station, unopened and sealed, so as to prevent the introduction of additional ballot papers into the ballot boxes; (ii) a certificate of authorisation to permit him to cast his vote in that polling station under subsection (2) of section 73; Maintenance of law and order at polling stations. Sealing of ballot boxes. (b) being a public officer or employee of a public corporation, commercial firm or mining company or member of the Sierra Leone Police Force or the Armed Forces of the Republic of Sierra Leone who is transferred by his employer or supervisor to a place of employment in a ward other than the one in which he is registered, may, not later than 15 days before the day appointed for voting, make an application to the Returning Officer of his electoral area for a certificate of authorisation, in a form approved by the Electoral Commission, to authorise a Presiding Officer in a polling station other than the one at which the applicant is entitled to vote, to permit him to cast his vote in that polling station. (3) Before issuing a certificate of authorisation under subsection (2), the Returning Officer shall satisfy himself that the application is well founded and supported by the written confirmation of the employer or supervisor of the applicant and shall delete the applicant's name from the Register of Voters of the polling station at which he is entitled to vote and initial the deletion. (4) A voter who has been issued with a certificate of authorisation referred to in subsection (2) shall present the certificate of authorisation to a Presiding Officer of a polling station other than the polling station at which he is entitled to vote and the Presiding Officer after satisfying himself as to the authenticity of the certificate of authorisation, shall permit the voter to vote in accordance with the directions contained therein. 73. A ballot paper shall have a number printed on it and shall be attached to a counterfoil bearing the same number as is printed on the ballot paper. 74. A voter shall vote without undue delay and shall leave the polling station as soon as he has put his ballot paper in the ballot box. 75. (1) Subject to this Act, a person shall not be permitted to vote at a polling station other than the polling station at which he is entitled to vote pursuant to paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section 73. (2) The Presiding Officer shall regulate the admission of voters to the polling station and exclude all other persons except Polling Agents, Polling Assistants, constables on duty, observers and any other person who under this Act has lawful reason to be admitted to the polling station. (3) A voter shall comply with the direction of the Presiding Officer for regulating the casting of votes under subsection (2) and generally conduct himself in an orderly manner. 76. (1) Where the Presiding Officer or a Polling Agent has reasonable cause to believe that a person attempting to vote at a polling station has committed the offence of personation, the person shall be charged with the offence. (2) A person in respect of whom the Presiding Officer or a Polling Agent has reasonable cause to believe has committed the offence of personation under subsection (1), shall not be - (a) prevented from voting, but the Presiding Officer shall cause the words "protested against for personation" to be placed against his name in the Register of Voters or part of the Register of Voters; or (b) permitted to vote if he admits to the Presiding Officer that he is not the person he held himself out to be. (3) Where a person in respect of whom the Presiding Officer or a Polling Agent has reasonable cause to believe has committed the offence of personation under subsection (1), has already voted, the Presiding Officer shall cause the words "protested against for personation" to be placed against his name in the Register of Voters or part of the Register of Voters. 46 47 Numbering of ballot papers. Voting to be without delay. Admission of persons to polling stations. Prevention personation. (iii) unused and spoilt ballot papers; (iv) the marked copies or part of the Register of Voters; and (v) the counterfoils of the used ballot papers. (2) The packages under subsection (1) shall be accompanied by a statement known as "the Ballot Papers Account", which shall be in Form A of the Seventh Schedule, prepared by the Presiding Officer, showing the number of ballot papers entrusted to him and accounting for them under the following heads- (a) number of unused ballot papers; (b) number of spoilt ballot papers; (c) number of persons marked on the Register of Voters as having been issued with ballot papers; and (d) officials on duty.