532 PARLIAMENTS OF THE DOMINIONS [rar m1 
5. The persons entitled to vote at the taking of the 
referendum poll shall be the electors and no other persons. 
6.—(1) The Governor in Council may appoint, by commis- 
sion under his hand and seal, a fit person to be the returning 
officer for taking the referendum poll under this Act. 
In case of sickness or other cause preventing the returning 
officer from acting, the Governor in Council may in like 
manner appoint some other person to act as returning officer 
in his stead. Notification of the appointment of the return- 
ing officer shall be published in the Gazette. 
(2) The returning officer, in addition to the powers and 
duties vested in and imposed upon him by this Act, shall have 
such of the powers and shall perform such of the duties of a 
returning officer appointed under the Elections Act as are 
necessary for carrying this Act into effect. 
(3) Every returning officer appointed under the Elections 
Act shall be an assistant returning officer for the purposes 
of this Act, and, in addition to the powers and duties vested 
in and imposed upon him by this Act, shall have such of 
the powers and shall perform such of the duties vested in 
and imposed upon a returning officer under the Elections 
Act as are necessary for carrying this Act into effect. 
(4) The writ for the referendum poll shall be directed by 
the Governor in Council to the returning officer. 
A copy of the writ shall be published in the Gazette. 
7.—(1) The mode of exercising the right to vote at a 
referendum poll and of ascertaining such right shall be the 
same as at elections of members of the Legislative Assembly. 
And generally (except as may otherwise be provided in 
this Act, or any regulation made thereunder) every enact- 
ment contained in the Elections Act regulating and making 
provision for the holding and conduct of elections, the 
proceedings before and at and subsequent to such elections, 
and all incidental matters, shall, so far as applicable thereto, 
apply mutatis mutandis to the referendum poll to be taken 
under this Act: Provided that the provisions (if any) of 
the Elections Act for securing the absolute majority of votes 
shall not apply. 
(2) Every act or omission which would be punishable by 
law, if the same had occurred in connexion with the holding 
of an election, shall be held to constitute the like offence, 
cognizable in the like manner, and punishable by the 
like punishment, if the same occurs in connexion with a 
referendum poll. 
8. Every assistant returning officer shall, in manner pro-