The Scottish Parliament (Elections etc.) (Amendment) Order 2008

Procedure in relation to postal voting statements: personal identifier verification

16.  After paragraph 20 of Schedule 4 insert–

“Procedure in relation to postal voting statements: personal identifier verification

20A.— (1) This paragraph applies to any postal voting statement contained in an envelope that is set aside for personal identifier verification in accordance with paragraph 19(1A) or (4A)(1).

(2) The constituency returning officer must satisfy himself that the postal voting statement is duly completed and as part of that process must compare the date of birth and the signature on the postal voting statement against the date of birth and the signature contained in the personal identifier record relating to the person to whom the postal ballot paper was addressed.

(3) Where the constituency returning officer is not so satisfied, he shall mark the statement “rejected”, attach it to the ballot paper envelope, or if there is no such envelope, the ballot paper, and, subject to sub-paragraph (4), place it in the receptacle for rejected votes (verification procedure).

(4) Before placing a postal voting statement in the receptacle for rejected votes (verification procedure), the constituency returning officer must show it to the agents and must permit them to view the entries in the personal identifiers record which relate to the person to whom the postal ballot paper was addressed, and if any of them object to his decision, he must add the words “rejection objected to”.

(5) The constituency returning officer shall then examine the number on the postal voting statement against the number on the ballot paper envelope and, where they are the same, he shall place the statement and the ballot paper envelope respectively in the receptacle for postal voting statements (verification procedure) and the receptacle for ballot paper envelopes.

(6) Where–

(a) the number on a valid postal voting statement is not the same as the number on the ballot paper envelope, or

(b) that envelope has no number on it (or only one number when the postal voting statement has more than one),

the constituency returning officer shall open the envelope.

(7) Sub-paragraph (8) applies where–

(a) there is a valid postal voting statement but no ballot paper envelope; or

(b) the ballot paper envelope has been opened under paragraph 19(3) or sub paragraph (6).

(8) In the circumstances described in sub-paragraph (7), the constituency returning officer shall place–

(a) in the postal ballot box, any ballot paper the number on which is the same as the number on the valid postal voting statement;

(b) in the receptacle for rejected votes (verification procedure), any other ballot paper, with the valid postal voting statement attached and marked “provisionally rejected”;

(c) in the receptacle for rejected votes (verification procedure), any valid postal voting statement marked “provisionally rejected” where–

(i) there is no ballot paper, or

(ii) in the case of a statement on which the number of more than one ballot paper appears, there is not a sufficient number of ballot papers and, in such a case, shall mark the statement to indicate which ballot paper is missing;

(d) in the receptacle for postal voting statements (verification procedure), any valid statement not disposed of under paragraph (b) or (c).

Postal voting statements: additional personal identifier verification

20B.— (1) A constituency returning officer may on any occasion at which a postal voters' ballot box is opened in accordance with paragraph 18 undertake additional verification of the personal identifiers on any postal voting statement that has on a prior occasion been placed in the receptacle for postal voting statements.

(2) Where a constituency returning officer undertakes additional verification of personal identifiers, he must–

(a) remove as many postal voting statements from the receptacle for postal voting statements as he wishes to subject to additional verification; and

(b) compare the date of birth and the signature on each such postal voting statement against the date of birth and the signature contained in the personal identifiers record relating to the person to whom the postal ballot paper was addressed.

(3) Where the constituency returning officer is no longer satisfied that the postal voting statement has been duly completed he must mark the statement “rejected” and before placing the postal voting statement in the receptacle for rejected votes (verification procedure), he must–

(a) show it to the agents and must permit them to view the entries in the personal identifiers record which relate to the person to whom the postal ballot paper was addressed, and if any of them object to his decision, he must add the words “rejection objected to”;

(b) open any postal ballot box and retrieve the ballot paper corresponding to the ballot paper number on the postal voting statement;

(c) show the ballot paper number on the retrieved ballot paper to the agents; and

(d) attach the ballot paper to the postal voting statement.

(4) Following the removal of a postal ballot paper from a postal ballot box the constituency returning officer must lock and reseal the postal ballot box in the presence of the agents.

(5) Whilst retrieving a ballot paper in accordance with sub-paragraph (3), the constituency returning officer and his staff–

(a) shall keep the ballot papers face downwards and shall take proper precautions for preventing any person seeing the votes made on the ballot papers; and

(b) shall not be permitted to view the corresponding number list used at the issue of postal ballot papers.”.

(1)

Paragraph 19(1A) and (4A) are inserted by article 14 of this Order.