Procedure in relation to postal voting statements
22.—(1) This paragraph applies to any postal voting statement contained in an envelope that has not been set aside for personal identifier verification in accordance with paragraph 20(2) or (7).
(2) The constituency returning officer must satisfy himself that the postal voting statement is duly completed.
(3) Where the constituency returning officer is not so satisfied, he shall mark the statement “rejected”, attach to it the ballot paper envelope, or if there is no such envelope, the ballot paper (or ballot papers), and, subject to sub-paragraph (4), place it in the receptacle for rejected votes.
(4) The constituency returning officer shall then examine the number (or numbers) on the postal voting statement against the number (or numbers) 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 and the receptacle for ballot paper envelopes.
(5) Where—
(a)the number (or numbers) on a valid postal voting statement is not the same as the number (or numbers) on the ballot paper envelope; or
(b)the 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.
(6) Sub-paragraph (7) 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 20(4) or sub-paragraph (7).
(7) In the circumstances described in sub-paragraph (6), 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 (or one of the numbers) on the valid postal voting statement;
(b)in the receptacle for rejected votes any other ballot paper, with the postal voting statement attached and marked “provisionally rejected”;
(c)in the receptacle for rejected votes 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, any valid statement not disposed of under sub-paragraph (b) or (c).