Paragraph 25 Spoilt postal ballot papersF1

If a postal voter has inadvertently dealt with that person’s postal ballot paper or postal voting statement in such a manner that it cannot be conveniently used as a ballot paper or, as the case may be, a postal voting statement, the postal voter may return (either by hand or by post) to the counting officer the spoilt ballot paper or, as the case may be, the spoilt postal voting statement.

Where a postal voter exercises the entitlement conferred by paragraph (1), the postal voter must also return—

Where the counting officer receives the documents referred to in paragraph (1) and, where applicable, paragraph (2)—

Paragraphs 20 (except paragraph (2)), 21, 22 and 23 shall apply to the issue of a replacement postal ballot paper under sub-paragraph (3) above.

Any postal ballot paper or postal voting statement, whether spoilt or not, returned in accordance with paragraph (1) or (2) must be immediately cancelled.

The counting officer must, as soon as practicable after cancelling those documents, make them up in a separate packet which must be kept sealed except to put new cancelled documents in it.

The counting officer must keep a list of the name of any postal voter and the corresponding number on the business voting register and the number of the postal ballot paper (or papers) issued under this rule.