(1) The Returning Officer or such other Officers authorised by him in this behalf may have the ballot boxes used at more than one polling station for the election of same office, opened and votes polled therein counted simultaneously.
(2) Before any ballot boxes opened at a counting table, the counting agents present at the table shall be allowed to inspect the paper seal or such other seals as might have been affixed thereon and to satisfy themselves that it is intact.
(3) The Returning Officer or such other officer authorised by him, shall satisfy himself that none of the ballot boxes has in fact been tampered with.
(4) If the Returning Officer or such other Officer authorised by him, is satisfied that any ballot box has in fact been tampered with, he shall not count the ballot papers contained in that box and shall follow the procedure laid down in rule 71 in respect of that polling station.