37Conduct of preliminary scrutiny of postal votes

37 Conduct of preliminary scrutiny of postal votes

(1) The Returning Officer must conduct as many preliminary scrutinies as he or she considers appropriate until:

(a) all applications for postal voter cards and postal ballot‑papers have been produced by him or her; and

(b) all envelopes containing postal votes received by him or her up to the end of the sixth day after the close of the poll have been dealt with in accordance with this rule; and

(c) any envelopes containing postal votes received before the close of the poll by any pre‑poll voting officer or presiding officer have been dealt with in accordance with this rule.

(2) At the first preliminary scrutiny, the Returning Officer must produce:

(a) all applications for postal voter cards and postal ballot‑papers; and

(b) unopened — all envelopes containing postal votes; and

(c) all postal voter cards;

that he or she has received.

(3) At a subsequent preliminary scrutiny (if any), the Returning Officer must produce:

(a) all applications for postal voter cards and postal ballot‑papers; and

(b) unopened — all envelopes containing postal votes; and

(c) all postal voter cards;

that he or she has received and that have not previously undergone scrutiny.

(4) Subject to subrule (7), the Returning Officer must, in conducting a preliminary scrutiny:

(a) compare the signature of the elector on each postal voter card with the signature of the elector on the application for the postal voter card, and allow the scrutineers to inspect both signatures; and

(b) accept for further scrutiny the ballot‑paper enclosed in the corresponding envelope if satisfied that:

(i) the elector is enrolled in respect of the ward to which the vote relates; and

(ii) the signature on the postal voter card is that of the elector who signed the application for the postal voter card; and

(iii) the signature appears to have been witnessed by an authorised witness; and

(iv) the vote contained in the envelope was recorded before the close of the poll; and

(v) the postal voter card has been certified under paragraph 31 (1) (e) and is valid; and

(c) if not satisfied as to a matter specified in subparagraph (b) (i), (ii), (iii) or (iv):

(i) disallow the ballot‑paper without opening the envelope in which it is contained; and

(ii) place the envelope in a parcel with all the other envelopes containing ballot‑papers which have been disallowed under this paragraph, seal the parcel and endorse on the parcel a description of the contents, the name of the ward and the date; and