If a postal voter has inadvertently dealt with his postal ballot paper or F7postal voting statement in such a manner that it cannot be conveniently used as a ballot paper (referred to as “a spoilt ballot paper”) or, as the case may be, a F7postal voting statement (referred to as “a spoilt F7postal voting statement”) he may return (either by hand or by post) to the returning officer the spoilt ballot paper or, as the case may be, the spoilt F7postal voting statement.

F3Subject to paragraph (3A), 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 F45 p.m. on the day of the poll.

Where the returning officer receives the documents referred to in paragraph (1) and, where applicable paragraph (2), after 5 p.m. on the day before the day of the poll, he shall only issue another postal ballot paper or, as the case may be, ballot papers if the postal voter returns the documents by hand.

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.

Any postal ballot paper or F7postal voting statement, whether spoilt or not, returned in accordance with paragraph (1) or (2) shall be immediately cancelled.

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.