Paragraph 19 Opening of covering envelopes
When a postal voters' ballot box is opened, the constituency returning officer shall count and record the number of covering envelopes, and shall then open each covering envelope (including any envelope to which paragraph 17(2) applies) separately.
The procedure in paragraph 20 applies where a covering envelope (including any envelope to which paragraph 17(2) applies) contains both–
a postal voting statement; and
a ballot paper envelope, or if there is no ballot paper envelope, a ballot paper (or ballot papers).
Where the covering envelope does not contain the postal voting statement separately, the constituency returning officer shall open the ballot paper envelope to ascertain whether the postal voting statement is inside.
Where a covering envelope does not contain both–
a postal voting statement (whether separately or not); and
a ballot paper envelope or, if there is no ballot paper envelope, a ballot paper (or ballot papers)
the constituency returning officer shall mark the covering envelope “provisionally rejected”, attach its contents (if any) and place it in the receptacle for rejected votes.
In carrying out the procedures in this paragraph and paragraphs 20 to 24, the constituency returning officer shall keep the ballot papers face downwards and shall take all proper precautions for preventing any person from seeing the votes made on the ballot papers
Where an envelope opened in accordance with sub-paragraph (1) contains a postal voting statement, the constituency returning officer shall place a mark in the marked copy of the postal voters list or proxy postal voters list in a place corresponding to the number of the elector to denote that a postal vote has been returned.
A mark made under sub-paragraph (6) shall be distinguishable from and shall not obscure the mark made under paragraph 8(1) or (3)(a).
As soon as practicable after the last covering envelope has been opened, the constituency returning officer shall make up into a packet the copy of the postal voters list and proxy postal voters list that have been marked in accordance with sub-paragraph (6) and shall seal such a packet.