{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/local-elections-communities-wales-rules-2021/schedule-1/rule-39",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/local-elections-communities-wales-rules-2021/schedule-1/rule-39.json",
  "legislation": "wsi/2021/1460",
  "legislation_title": "The Local Elections (Communities) (Wales) Rules 2021",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/local-elections-communities-wales-rules-2021",
  "path": "schedule/1/rule/39",
  "kind": "rule",
  "number": "39",
  "heading": "Sealing of ballot boxes",
  "text": "(1) The presiding officer must take the following steps immediately before the poll begins.\n(2) The presiding officer must show the empty ballot box to those people (if any) who are present in the polling station, so that they may see that it is empty.\n(3) The presiding officer must then—\n(a) lock up the box, if it has a lock, and\n(b) place the presiding officer’s seal on it, in such a way as to prevent it being opened without breaking the seal.\n(4) The presiding officer must then place the box, within the presiding officer’s view, for the receipt of ballot papers.\n(5) The presiding officer must keep the box locked and sealed or (if it does not have a lock) keep it sealed.",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in Sch. 1 rule 39(3)(b) substituted (13.3.2026) by The Local Elections (Wales) (Amendment) Rules 2026 (W.S.I. 2026/84), rules 1(2), 71 (with rule 1(3))"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "Sch. 1 rule 39 in force at 17.12.2021, see rule 1"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/wsi/2021/1460/schedule/1/rule/39",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-28T23:08:52.467745+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}