149Preliminary scrutiny of postal ballot papers

149 Preliminary scrutiny of postal ballot papers

149 Preliminary scrutiny of postal ballot papers

(1A) The Electoral Commissioner may—

(a) without opening it, examine an envelope received by the Electoral Commissioner containing a ballot paper to determine whether the postal vote certificate is visible through a rear window in the envelope, and

(b) if the postal vote certificate is not visible through the rear window in the envelope, but the Electoral Commissioner considers it is likely the postal vote certificate is sealed inside the envelope—

(i) open the envelope without destroying it, and

(ii) withdraw the documents inside the envelope and ascertain whether the postal vote certificate was sealed inside the envelope, and

(iii) without further inspecting the documents or allowing another person to inspect the documents—

(A) if the postal vote certificate was sealed inside the envelope with the ballot paper—replace the documents in the envelope in a way that enables the postal vote certificate to be visible through the rear window in the envelope, or

(B) if the postal vote certificate was not sealed inside the envelope with the ballot paper—replace the documents in the envelope, and

(iv) reseal the envelope, and

(v) if the postal vote certificate was not sealed inside the envelope with the ballot paper—the reject the envelope from further scrutiny.

(1) The Electoral Commissioner—

(a) may, on any day not more than 14 days before election day, at an approved time and place, and in the presence of such scrutineers as choose to be present, produce the sealed envelopes containing postal votes that have been received by the Electoral Commissioner, and

(b) must, at the scrutiny, produce all remaining sealed envelopes containing postal votes—

(i) received by the Electoral Commissioner following the close of voting before the expiry of the period prescribed by the regulations, being a period of not more than 13 days, or

(ii) received by any election official before 6 pm on election day, or