347Preliminary scrutiny of postal ballot-papers

347 Preliminary scrutiny of postal ballot-papers

347 Preliminary scrutiny of postal ballot-papers

(1) The returning officer may—

(a) without opening it, examine an envelope received by the returning officer containing a ballot-paper to determine whether—

(i) the postal vote certificate is visible through a window in the envelope, or

(ii) the postal vote certificate is printed on the envelope, and

(b) if the postal vote certificate is not visible through a window or printed on the envelope, but the returning officer considers it likely that 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) if a postal vote certificate was sealed with the ballot-paper inside another envelope, and that envelope has a window through which it is possible to view the postal vote certificate—

(A) without further inspecting the documents or allowing another person to inspect the documents, replace the documents in the envelope in a way that enables the postal vote certificate to be visible through the window in the envelope, and

(B) reseal the envelope, and

(iv) if a postal vote certificate envelope was sealed with the ballot-paper inside another envelope, but that envelope does not have a window through which it is possible to view a postal vote certificate—

(A) take out the postal vote certificate envelope, and

(B) if the ballot-paper is not sealed inside the postal vote certificate envelope but the returning officer is satisfied that the ballot-paper relates to the postal vote certificate envelope—place the ballot-paper inside the postal vote certificate envelope and seal the postal vote certificate envelope, and

(v) if a postal vote certificate was not sealed with the ballot-paper inside the other envelope—

(A) without further inspecting the documents or allowing another person to inspect the documents, replace the documents in the envelope, and