{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/neighbourhood-planning-referendums-regulations-2012/schedule-7/paragraph-24",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/neighbourhood-planning-referendums-regulations-2012/schedule-7/paragraph-24.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/2012/2031",
  "legislation_title": "The Neighbourhood Planning (Referendums) Regulations 2012",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/neighbourhood-planning-referendums-regulations-2012",
  "path": "schedule/7/paragraph/24",
  "kind": "paragraph",
  "number": "24",
  "heading": "Cancellation of postal ballot papers",
  "text": "(1) Where a named voter or the business vote holder has given notice in writing to the business registration officer in accordance with paragraph 21(1) of Schedule 6 and the original named voter’s completed postal ballot paper and postal voting statement have not already been returned, the counting officer shall—\n(a) immediately cancel the postal ballot paper and postal voting statement issued to the original named voter; and\n(b) as soon as practicable after cancelling those documents, make any uncompleted postal ballot papers or postal voting statements which are returned up in a separate packet which must be kept sealed except to put new cancelled documents in it.\n(2) Where possible, the original named voter should, when giving notice in writing in accordance with paragraph 21(1) of Schedule 6, also return the uncompleted postal ballot paper and postal voting statement to the counting officer, but the cancellation of these documents in accordance with sub-paragraph (1)(a) above shall not be dependent upon the return of these uncompleted documents.\n(3) Where a named voter or a business vote holder has applied for a new named voter for the business referendum in accordance with paragraph 23(1) of Schedule 6 and the original named voter’s completed postal ballot paper and postal voting statement have not already been returned, the counting officer shall—\n(a) immediately cancel the postal ballot paper and postal voting statement issued to the original named voter; and\n(b) as soon as practicable after cancelling those documents, make any uncompleted postal ballot papers or postal voting statements which are returned up in a packet (which may be the same packet as that referred to in paragraph 24(1)(b)) which must be kept sealed except to put new cancelled documents in it.\n(4) Where a business vote holder has ceased to be liable to pay non-domestic rates on a hereditament in the referendum area and the business registration officer has, in accordance with paragraph 25 of Schedule 6, removed that person’s name from the business voting register, any postal ballot paper and valid postal voting statement returned in respect of that business vote holder shall be immediately cancelled.\n(5) The counting officer must keep a list of the postal ballot papers cancelled under this rule, including—\n(a) the number of each cancelled postal ballot paper;\n(b) the name of the postal voter to whom it was issued;\n(c) the name and number on the business voting register of the business vote holder on whose behalf the postal voter would have voted; and\n(d) the number of any postal ballot paper issued to any other postal voter on behalf of that business vote holder.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Sch. 7 inserted (6.4.2013) by The Neighbourhood Planning (Referendums) (Amendment) Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/798), regs. 1, 7, Sch. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in Sch. 7 rule 24(3) substituted (6.4.2014) by The Neighbourhood Planning (Referendums) (Amendment) Regulations 2014 (S.I. 2014/333), regs. 1(6), 20(1)(a) (with reg. 1(7))"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in Sch. 7 rule 24(4) substituted (6.4.2014) by The Neighbourhood Planning (Referendums) (Amendment) Regulations 2014 (S.I. 2014/333), regs. 1(6), 20(1)(b) (with reg. 1(7))"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Sch. 7 rule 24(5) inserted (6.4.2014) by The Neighbourhood Planning (Referendums) (Amendment) Regulations 2014 (S.I. 2014/333), regs. 1(6), 20(2) (with reg. 1(7))"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/2031/schedule/7/paragraph/24",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T01:23:04.114380+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."
}