The Scottish Parliament (Elections etc.) Order 2010

Postal voting statements: additional personal identifier verification

22.—(1) A CRO 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 CRO undertakes additional verification of personal identifiers, the CRO must—

(a) remove as many postal voting statements from the receptacle for postal voting statements as the CRO 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 CRO is no longer satisfied that the postal voting statement has been duly completed the CRO must mark the statement “rejected” and before placing the postal voting statement in the receptacle for rejected votes (verification procedure), the CRO must—

(a) show it to at least one agent for each candidate or registered party represented at the proceedings, or to a candidate instead of the candidate’s agent;

(b) permit them to view the entries in the personal identifiers record which relate to the person to whom the postal ballot paper was addressed;

(c) if any of them objects to the CRO’s decision, add the words “rejection objected to”;

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

(e) show the ballot paper number on the retrieved ballot paper to the agents and candidates shown the postal voting statement under paragraph (a); and

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

(4) Following the removal of a postal ballot paper from a postal ballot box the CRO must reseal the postal ballot box in the presence of the agents.

(5) Whilst retrieving a ballot paper in accordance with sub-paragraph (3), the CRO and the CRO’s 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.