391AProvisional voting envelopes

391A Provisional voting envelopes

391A Provisional voting envelopes

(1) This section applies to any envelope used for a provisional vote at an election administered by an electoral services provider.

(2) The returning officer, after the election has been declared, is to—

(a) make a copy of the declarations on the envelopes (whether by photographing, photocopying or scanning the declaration), and

(b) send the original envelopes to the Electoral Commissioner.

(3) The Electoral Commissioner may use the information contained in any envelope sent to the Electoral Commissioner under this section, and any envelope in the possession of a returning officer for an election administered by the Electoral Commissioner, for the purposes of updating and maintaining electoral rolls (whether under the Act or any other law).

(4) The Electoral Commissioner must ensure that any envelopes sent to the Electoral Commissioner under this section are kept securely until the latest of the following—

(a) the period of 6 months after the relevant day of polling has expired,

(b) if proceedings in a court or tribunal relating to the election concerned have been commenced within that period—the proceedings have been finally determined.

(5) On the expiry of the Electoral Commissioner’s obligation under subsection (4), the Electoral Commissioner may cause the envelopes to be destroyed.