Checking of lists kept under paragraph 27
28.—(1) Where the constituency returning officer receives a valid postal voting statement without the postal ballot paper (or papers or, as the case may be, all of the papers) to which it relates, he may, at any time prior to the close of the poll, check the list referred to in paragraph 27(2) to see whether the number (or numbers) of a postal ballot paper to which the statement relates is entered in that list.
(2) Where the constituency returning officer receives a postal ballot paper without the postal voting statement to which it relates, he may, at any time prior to the close of the poll, check the list referred to in paragraph 27(3) to see whether the number of that ballot paper is entered in that list.
(3) The constituency returning officer shall conduct the checks required by sub-paragraphs (1) and (2) as soon as practicable after the receipt of packets from every polling station in the constituency or, as the case may be, electoral area under rule 53 of Schedule 5.
(4) Where the ballot paper number in the list matches that number on a valid postal voting statement or, as the case may be, the postal ballot paper, the constituency returning officer shall retrieve that statement or paper.
(5) The constituency returning officer shall then take the appropriate steps under this Schedule as though any document earlier marked “provisionally rejected” had not been so marked and shall amend the document accordingly.