{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/scottish-parliament-elections-etc-order-2002/schedule-4/paragraph-17",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/scottish-parliament-elections-etc-order-2002/schedule-4/paragraph-17.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/2002/2779",
  "legislation_title": "The Scottish Parliament (Elections etc.) Order 2002",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/scottish-parliament-elections-etc-order-2002",
  "path": "schedule/4/paragraph/17",
  "kind": "paragraph",
  "number": "17",
  "heading": "Receipt of covering envelope",
  "text": "(1) The constituency returning officer shall, immediately on receipt (whether by hand or by post) of a covering envelope (or an envelope which is stated to include a postal vote) before the close of the poll, place it unopened in a postal voters' ballot box.\n(2) Where an envelope, other than a covering envelope issued by the constituency returning officer–\n(a) has been opened; and\n(b) contains a ballot paper envelope, declaration of identity or ballot papers,\nthe first–mentioned envelope, together with its contents, shall be placed in a postal voters' ballot box.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2002/2779/schedule/4/paragraph/17",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T06:40:32.730428+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."
}