Spoilt postal ballot papers
77.—(1) If a postal voter has inadvertently dealt with his postal ballot paper in such manner that it cannot be conveniently used as a ballot paper (referred to as “a spoilt postal ballot paper”) he may return (either by hand or by post) to the returning officer the spoilt ballot paper and the declaration of identity.
(2) Where postal ballot papers for more than one election have been issued together under regulation 65 above, the postal voter shall, if he exercises the entitlement conferred by paragraph (1) above, return all of the ballot papers so issued, whether spoilt or not.
(3) On receipt of the documents referred to in paragraph (1) and, where applicable paragraph (2) above, the returning officer shall issue another postal ballot paper or, as the case may be, ballot papers except where those documents are received after 5 p.m. on the day before the day of the poll.
(4) Regulations 72 (except paragraph (3)), 74, 75 and, subject to paragraph (7) below, 76 above shall apply to the issue of a replacement postal ballot paper under paragraph (3) above.
(5) The spoilt postal ballot paper, and any other postal ballot paper issued with it, and the declaration of identity shall be immediately cancelled.
(6) The returning officer, as soon as practicable after cancelling those documents, shall make up those documents in a separate packet and shall seal the packet; and if on any subsequent occasion documents are cancelled as mentioned above, the sealed packet shall be opened and the additional cancelled documents included in it and the packet shall be again made up and sealed.
(7) Where a postal voter applies in person, the returning officer may hand a replacement postal ballot paper to him instead of delivering it in accordance with regulation 76 above.
(8) The returning officer shall enter in a list kept for the purpose (“the list of spoilt postal ballot papers”)–
(a)the name and number of the elector as stated in the register;
(b)the number of the postal ballot paper (or papers) issued under this regulation; and
(c)where the postal voter whose ballot paper is spoilt is a proxy, his name and address.