The European Parliamentary Elections Regulations 2004

[F1 Forwarding of documents E+W+S

70.— (1) Subject to sub-paragraphs (2) and (7), the local returning officer must forward to the relevant registration officer, at the same time as he forwards the documents mentioned in rule 64 of [F2 the European Parliamentary elections rules] [F3 —

(a) the packets referred to in paragraphs 51(1), 53(7), 54(5), 54A(2), 60(11) and 69, endorsing on each a description of the contents;

(b) any list compiled under paragraph 67(4); and

(c) a completed statement in Form R in the Appendix.]

(2) Where the proceedings on the issue and receipt of postal ballot papers are taken together under paragraph 41, the returning officer or local returning officer discharging those functions must forward the packets containing—

(a) the marked copies of the postal voters list and proxy postal voters list; and

(b) the postal voting statements,

to the same person, and at the same time and in the same manner, as he is required to forward those documents as respects the election or referendum for which he is the returning officer.

(3) Where—

(a) any covering envelopes are received by the local returning officer after the close of the poll (apart from those delivered in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 55(2));

(b) any envelopes addressed to postal voters are returned as undelivered and are too late to be readdressed; or

(c) any spoilt postal ballot papers are returned too late to enable other postal ballot papers to be issued,

the local returning officer must put them unopened in a separate packet, seal up such packet and endorse and retain it and subsequently deal with it in the manner described in sub-paragraph (1).

(4) Rules 65 and 66 of the European Parliamentary elections rules apply to any packet or document retained under this paragraph [F4 except that in applying those rules the list compiled under paragraph 67(4) must be treated in the same manner as a counted ballot paper].

(5) A completed statement in Form R in the Appendix must be provided by the local returning officer to the Secretary of State and the Electoral Commission in the period which starts 10 days after the day of the poll and ends 15 days after that day.

(6) The statement referred to in sub-paragraph (5) must identify the local counting areas within the electoral region for which it is prepared.

(7) In the case of the Scottish electoral region, sub-paragraph (1) does not apply and the local returning officer must retain on behalf of the returning officer the packets [F5 and documents] to which it refers.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Sch. 2 substituted (30.1.2009) by The European Parliamentary Elections (Amendment) Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/186), regs. 1(2), 40, Sch. 3

F2 Words in Sch. 2 para. 70(1) substituted (1.4.2009) by The European Parliamentary Elections (Amendment) (No.2) Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/848), regs. 1(2), 2(3)(d)

F3 Words in Sch. 2 para. 70(1) substituted (1.1.2014) by The European Parliamentary Elections (Amendment) Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/2876), regs. 1(2), 52(1)

F4 Words in Sch. 2 para. 70(4) inserted (1.1.2014) by The European Parliamentary Elections (Amendment) Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/2876), regs. 1(2), 52(2)

F5 Words in Sch. 2 para. 70(7) inserted (1.1.2014) by The European Parliamentary Elections (Amendment) Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/2876), regs. 1(2), 52(3)