Canvass of the Returns by the City, Municipal and Municipal District Boards of Canvassers.
Section 13
SEC. 13. Canvass of the Returns by the City, Municipal and Municipal District Boards of Canvassers. — At six o'clock in the afternoon of plebiscite day, the city, municipal or municipal district board of canvassers shall meet for the purpose of canvassing the plebiscite returns for the city, municipality or municipal district, as the case may be. The city, municipal or municipal district treasurer shall produce before the board the returns already received by him from the different precincts. The board shall canvass continously until all the returns are read, but may suspend the canvass only for the purpose of awaiting other returns and shall resume immediately upon receipt of such returns. Upon completion of the canvass, the board shall prepare and sign a certificate of canvass of all the votes cast for "YES" and all the votes cast for "NO" supported by a statement of votes by precincts. The board of canvassers shall prepare the certificate of canvass and the supporting statement by precinct in triplicate in one writing in the form prescribed by the Commission on Elections. The copies of the certificate and statement shall be enclosed in envelopes furnished by the Commission on Elections and distributed as follows: the original copy shall be delivered to the Commission on Elections in the manner it may direct; the second copy shall be transmitted to the Provincial Treasurer for safekeeping; and the third copy shall be kept on file in the office of the city, municipal or municipal district treasurer. The members of the board of canvassers shall each receive a fixed compensation of thirty pesos for actual services rendered in the board. The Commission may, upon recommendation of civic, religious and educational organizations, appoint three watchers to be present at, and take note of all the proceedings of the board of canvassers. The watchers shall have the right to read the plebiscite returns without touching them and to file a protest against any irregularity in the plebiscite returns submitted and to obtain from the board of canvassers a resolution thereon in writing.