Opening of covering envelopesE+W
84.—(1) When a postal voters' ballot box is opened, the returning officer shall count and record the number of covering envelopes, and shall then open each covering envelope (including any envelope described in regulation 82(2) above) separately.
(2) The procedure in regulation 85 below applies where a covering envelope (including an envelope to which regulation 82(2) above applies) contains both—
(a)a declaration of identity; and
(b)a ballot paper envelope, or if there is no ballot paper envelope, a ballot paper (or ballot papers).
(3) Where the covering envelope does not contain the declaration of identity separately, the returning officer shall open the ballot paper envelope to ascertain whether the declaration of identity is inside.
(4) Where a covering envelope does not contain both—
(a)a declaration of identity (whether separately or not), and
(b)a ballot paper envelope or, if there is no ballot paper envelope, a ballot paper (or ballot papers),
the returning officer shall mark the covering envelope “provisionally rejected”, attach its contents (if any) and place it in the receptacle for rejected votes.
Commencement Information
I1Reg. 84 in force at 16.2.2001, see reg. 1(1)