returning officer
Definition
- Noun:
- An official in a specific electoral district or constituency who is responsible for conducting an election and formally announcing ("returning") the results.
Usage
- The term "returning officer" is a formal, official title used in the context of elections, particularly in countries with parliamentary systems like the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.
- It refers to a specific person appointed for a specific electoral area. You would not use it to describe a generic election worker.
- It is typically used with the definite article "the" when referring to the officer for a specific area (e.g., returning officer for Brighton).
Examples
- Noun:
- The returning officer announced the final count late on Friday night.
- All ballot boxes were delivered under seal to the returning officer.
- Candidates must submit their nomination papers to the returning officer by the deadline.
Advanced Usage
- "to declare": The returning officer's key duty is to officially declare the winner of the election in their constituency.
- The returning officer will declare the result after verifying all the votes.
Variants and Related Words
- Election official (n): A more general term for any official involved in administering an election.
- Presiding officer (n): An official in charge of a single polling station, who reports to the returning officer.
- Electoral officer (n): A similar term used in some jurisdictions.
Synonyms
- Election officer: A general synonym, though it lacks the specific connotation of formally "returning" the result.
- Constituency election head: A descriptive synonym.
Related Phrases
- Return the writ: A formal legal phrase related to the returning officer's duty. The "writ" is the official order to hold an election, which the officer "returns" (sends back) with the name of the winning candidate endorsed on it.
- The returning officer is responsible for returning the writ to the government.
Noun
-
the official in each electorate who holds the election and returns the results
