Who gives the final decision if a dispute arises during counting?

Correct answer: Returning Officer

Direct answer: A, the Returning Officer, is correct in the context of the counting process. A counting dispute must be handled through the authority and procedure established by election law. The Returning Officer is the authorised election official responsible for supervising the relevant constituency’s election process and taking formal decisions within that process. The decision is not based on which side is louder or more popular; it must follow the applicable rules and records. B is wrong because the media may report a dispute but has no authority to decide it. C is wrong because individual voters do not conduct official counting or issue binding decisions about disputed totals. D is wrong because a party worker represents a political party and cannot act as the neutral legal authority for the count. In a serious legal challenge, other legally available review or judicial remedies may exist, but among these four options the Returning Officer is the appropriate answer. Memory cue: officials decide under rules; observers and media may report, but they do not declare the result.