Independent execution of official acts by the returning officer

(1) When, especially on the election day and irrespective of the regular convocation, an elections authority does not have the necessary number of appointed members in order to be able to constitute a quorum, or when it becomes unable to constitute a quorum during an official proceeding and when the urgency of the official proceeding does not allow for postponement, the procedure has to be carried out independently by the returning officer. In this case, they have the possibility to call on persons of confidence, taking the relations between the parties into consideration.

(2) The same applies to an elections authority which cannot be assembled since none of the parties has brought forward an application for an appointment of members and substitutes, according to § 14.

(3) Apart from the cases discussed in paras 1 and 2 as well as in § 15, para 2, § 42, para 1, and § 113, the returning officer can also deal with urgent official proceedings when they have been specifically authorized to do so by the elections authorities.