SHARETristan da Cunha, Revised Edition of the Laws, 2017, Island Council (Tristan da Cunha) Ordinance, 1985, accessed 24 May 2021
3. (1) There is to be a council in and for Tristan da Cunha, to be known as “the Island Council”, having such functions as are conferred on it by this Ordinance or by any other law in force in Tristan da Cunha.
(2) The Island Council is to consist of—
(a) the Administrator, who is to be the President;
(b) 3 appointed members, who must be British Overseas Territories Citizens, British Overseas Citizens or British Citizens and are to be appointed by the Administrator in writing under his or her hand and the official seal and with the prior approval of the Governor; and
(c) 8 elected members, of whom not less than one must be a woman, who must be persons qualified for election in accordance with this Ordinance, and elected in the manner provided by the Rules for the time being in force in Schedule 1 to this Ordinance.
SCHEDULE 1 (Sections 3 and 7) RULES GOVERNING ELECTIONS TO ISLAND COUNCIL
[…] (6) All persons voting as electors must do so in person except that in respect of any elector who is unable through physical incapacity to go to the polling station or who is blind or makes an oral declaration of inability to read, the Presiding Officer must cast the vote of such elector if requested by him or her so to do, in which case the Presiding Officer must cast the vote in the manner directed by the elector; and all other electors must obtain from the Presiding Officer a ballot paper bearing the names of candidates, and in some convenient secret place in the place fixed by the Presiding Officer as a polling station each voter must mark an X against the names of not more than 8 candidates. On completion of marking, the elector must fold the ballot paper and place it in the locked ballot box provided. Before handing a ballot paper to an elector, the Presiding Officer must mark his or her name in the register and stamp the ballot paper with the official mark.
(7) (a) At 6 p.m. on the day of the poll, the poll must be closed. The Presiding Officer must then count the votes. Any ballot paper bearing any mark other than the official mark or more than 8 crosses is invalid.
(b) The 8 candidates who obtain the greatest number of votes validly cast must be declared elected provided that at least one of them is a female candidate. If no female candidate is included among such 8 candidates, the first 7 only must be declared elected and the eighth seat must be filled by the female candidate who has obtained the greatest number of votes validly cast irrespective of her position in the ballot in relation to the remaining male candidates, and she must be declared elected. If no female candidate is included among the nominated candidates, a byelection must be held to fill the eighth seat and, in respect of such byelection, a female candidate or candidates only may be nominated and a poll must be taken only if more than one such candidate is nominated. […]
Tristan da Cunha, 2019 Island Council Election Results, accessed 24 May 2021