The Police and Crime Commissioner Elections Order 2012

Rejected ballot papers U.K.

53.—(1) Any ballot paper—

(a) which does not bear the official mark;

(b) on which more than one F1 ... vote is given;

(c) on which anything is written or marked by which the voter can be identified (except the printed number and other unique identifying mark on the back);

(d) which is unmarked;

(e) which is void for uncertainty F2 ...,

is, subject to paragraph (2), void and not to be counted.

(2) A ballot paper on which the vote is marked—

(a) elsewhere than in the proper place, or

(b) otherwise than by means of a cross, or

(c) by more than one mark,

is not for that reason void if [F3 the condition in paragraph (4)] is met.

F4 (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

[F5 (4) The condition is that—

(a) an intention that a vote is for only one of the candidates clearly appears, and

(b) the way the paper is marked does not itself identify the voter and it is not shown that the voter can be identified from it.]

F6 (5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(6) The local returning officer must endorse the word “rejected” on any ballot paper which under this rule is not be to counted and must add to the endorsement the words “rejection objected to” if any objection is made to the officer's decision by a counting agent.

(7) The local returning officer must draw up a statement showing the number of rejected ballot papers under the several heads of—

(a) want of an official mark;

(b) voting for more than one candidate F7 ...;

(c) writing or mark by which the voter could be identified;

(d) unmarked F8 ...;

(e) void for uncertainty.

F9 (8) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in Sch. 3 rule 53(1)(b) omitted (21.12.2022) (with application in accordance with art. 1(2) of the amending S.I.) by virtue of The Police and Crime Commissioner Elections and Welsh Forms (Amendment) Order 2022 (S.I. 2022/1354), art. 5(9)(a)(i)

F2 Words in Sch. 3 rule 53(1)(e) omitted (21.12.2022) (with application in accordance with art. 1(2) of the amending S.I.) by virtue of The Police and Crime Commissioner Elections and Welsh Forms (Amendment) Order 2022 (S.I. 2022/1354), art. 5(9)(a)(ii)

F3 Words in Sch. 3 rule 53(2) substituted (21.12.2022) with application in accordance with art. 1(2) of the amending S.I.) by The Police and Crime Commissioner Elections and Welsh Forms (Amendment) Order 2022 (S.I. 2022/1354), art. 5(9)(b)

F4 Sch. 3 rule 53(3) omitted (21.12.2022) (with application in accordance with art. 1(2) of the amending S.I.) by virtue of The Police and Crime Commissioner Elections and Welsh Forms (Amendment) Order 2022 (S.I. 2022/1354), art. 5(9)(c)

F5 Sch. 3 rule 53(4) substituted (21.12.2022) (with application in accordance with art. 1(2) of the amending S.I.) by The Police and Crime Commissioner Elections and Welsh Forms (Amendment) Order 2022 (S.I. 2022/1354), art. 5(9)(d)

F6 Sch. 3 rule 53(5) omitted (21.12.2022) (with application in accordance with art. 1(2) of the amending S.I.) by virtue of The Police and Crime Commissioner Elections and Welsh Forms (Amendment) Order 2022 (S.I. 2022/1354), art. 5(9)(e)

F7 Words in Sch. 3 rule 53(7)(b) omitted (21.12.2022) (with application in accordance with art. 1(2) of the amending S.I.) by virtue of The Police and Crime Commissioner Elections and Welsh Forms (Amendment) Order 2022 (S.I. 2022/1354), art. 5(9)(f)

F8 Words in Sch. 3 rule 53(7)(d) omitted (21.12.2022) (with application in accordance with art. 1(2) of the amending S.I.) by virtue of The Police and Crime Commissioner Elections and Welsh Forms (Amendment) Order 2022 (S.I. 2022/1354), art. 5(9)(f)

F9 Sch. 3 rule 53(8) omitted (21.12.2022) with application in accordance with art. 1(2) of the amending S.I.) by virtue of The Police and Crime Commissioner Elections and Welsh Forms (Amendment) Order 2022 (S.I. 2022/1354), art. 5(9)(g)