{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/neighbourhood-planning-referendums-regulations-2012/schedule-7/paragraph-31",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/neighbourhood-planning-referendums-regulations-2012/schedule-7/paragraph-31.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/31",
  "kind": "paragraph",
  "number": "31",
  "heading": "Opening of postal voters’ ballot box",
  "text": "(1) Each postal voters’ ballot box must be opened by the counting officer in the presence of such of those entitled to attend who are present.\n(2) So long as the counting officer ensures that there is at least one sealed postal voters’ ballot box for the reception of covering envelopes up to the time of the close of the poll, the other postal voters’ ballot boxes may previously be opened by the counting officer.\n(3) The last postal voters’ ballot box and the postal ballot box must be opened at the counting of the votes.",
  "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"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/2031/schedule/7/paragraph/31",
    "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."
}