PART 5ISSUE AND RECEIPT OF POSTAL BALLOT PAPERS
Receipt of Postal Ballot Papers
Opening of covering envelopesC186
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 separately.
2
The procedure in regulation 87 applies where a covering envelope contains both—
a
a declaration of identity; and
b
a ballot paper envelope, or if there is no ballot paper envelope, a ballot paper.
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,
the returning officer shall mark the covering envelope “rejected”, attach its contents (if any) and place it in the receptacle for rejected votes.