Consideration of Bill: 1 November 2010

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Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill, continued

	ISSUED BY THE RETURNING OFFICER
	Instructions to the Voter
	If you need help or require replacement documents please contact the Returning Officer at
	[insert contact details for assistance including address as appropriate].
	After receiving this postal vote, you cannot vote in person at a polling station at this
	election. You must not vote more than once (unless you are appointed as a proxy for
	another elector) at the same election.
	This postal voting statement relates to the ballot papers for the Scottish parliamentary
	election only. You will receive your ballot papers and instructions for the referendum on the
	voting system for United Kingdom parliamentary elections separately. If you have not
	received them by [insert date], please contact the Returning Officer.
	You must provide your [signature and]** date of birth even if you have already signed a
	postal voting statement in respect of the referendum on the voting system for United
	Kingdom parliamentary elections which is to be held on the same day.
	You have two ballot papers (a constituency ballot paper coloured [insert colour] and a
	regional ballot paper coloured [insert colour]). Please check that the ballot paper number on
	the back of each ballot paper matches the number at the top of the postal voting statement.
	If it does not match, contact the Returning Officer at the address above.
	Your vote is personal—complete it yourself and in private. If you need help voting, the
	person helping you must not tell anyone how you voted.
	For your votes to be counted you must provide your date of birth and signature** on the
	postal voting statement. Please use black ink. Your date of birth and signature** will be
	checked against the date of birth and signature** you provided to the Electoral Registration
	Officer when you asked for a postal vote to ensure that you are the same person who
	applied for the postal vote.
	The ballot papers and postal voting statement must be received by the Returning Officer by
	10 pm on [day and date of poll]. You can also deliver your completed postal vote to any
	polling station in this constituency on polling day up to 10 pm.
	How do I complete my postal vote?
	Step A—Completing your Ballot Papers
	1.	Vote only once on each ballot paper.
	2.	Vote by marking a cross (X) in the box opposite the name of the candidate or party
		you are voting for.
	3.	Do not mark the ballot papers in any other way or your votes many not count.
	4.	Put the completed ballot papers in the envelope marked ‘A’ and seal it.
	Step B—Completing your Postal Voting statement
	5.	For your votes to be counted you must provide your date of birth and signature**.
		Please use black ink. Put your date of birth in the boxes provided and sign in the
		grey box**.
	Step C—Before returning your Postal Vote
	6.	Check you have marked the ballot papers, put them in envelope ‘A’ and sealed the
		envelope.
	7.	Check you have your date of birth and signature** on the Postal Voting Statement.
	8.	Put the envelope marked ‘A’ together with the Postal Voting Statement in the
		envelope marked ‘B’ and seal the envelope.
	9.	Post it as soon as possible. If you delay posting your vote it may not be received by
		the Returning Officer in time to be counted.
	If you accidentally spoil or lose your ballot papers, you can apply to the Returning Officer
	for replacements before 5 pm on [insert day and date of poll]. After 5pm on [insert day and
	date of day before the date of poll] replacement papers can only be issued if you apply in
	person to the Returning Officer. You must return the spoilt ballot papers, the postal voting
	statement, and the envelopes marked ‘A’ and ‘B’. Make sure you contact the Returning
	Officer as soon as possible at the address above.
	Direction for postal voting statement being sent to an anonymous elector
	(This direction does not form part of the postal voting statement.)
	*Returning Officer to omit name.
	Direction for postal voting statement being sent to an elector who has been granted a
	signature waiver
	(This direction does not form part of the posting voting statement.)
	**Returning Officer to omit grey signature box and references to signature.’.

Consideration of Bill: 1 November 2010

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Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill, continued

The Deputy Prime Minister

157

Page  251,  line  9  [Schedule  7],  leave out from beginning to end of line 31 on page

253 and insert—

Consideration of Bill: 1 November 2010

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Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill, continued

	‘REFERENDUM ON THE VOTING SYSTEM FOR
	UNITED KINGDOM PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS
	STATEMENT AS TO POSTAL BALLOT PAPERS
	Voting area	[Name of voting area]	Date of poll	[Date of poll]

	A	Issue of postal ballot papers	Number
			voting area
	1	Total number of postal ballot papers issued under paragraphs
		8(1), 13(3) and 14(6).

	B(1)	Receipt and replacement of postal ballot papers	Number
			voting area
	2	Number of postal ballot papers received by the counting
		officer or at a polling station before the close of the poll
		(excluding any returned either as undelivered or under
		paragraph 13(2) or 14(3)).
	3	Number of covering envelopes received by the counting
		officer after the close of the poll, excluding any returned as
		undelivered.
	4	Number of postal ballot papers returned spoilt for cancellation
		in time for another ballot paper to be issued under paragraph
		13(3).
	5	Number of postal ballot papers identified as lost or not
		received in time for another ballot paper to be issued under
		paragraph 14(6).
	6	Number of postal ballot papers cancelled and retrieved in time
		for another ballot paper to be issued under paragraph 14(6).
	7	Number of postal ballot papers returned as spoilt too late for
		another ballot paper to be issued under paragraph 13(3).
	8	Number of postal ballot papers identified as lost or not
		received too late for another ballot paper to be issued under
		paragraph 14(6).
	9	Number of postal ballot papers received and cancelled too late
		for another ballot paper to be issued under paragraph 14(6).
	10	Number of covering envelopes returned as undelivered up to
		the date of this statement.
	11	Total number of postal ballot papers returned (total of lines 2
		to 10).
	12	Number of postal ballot papers which have been issued but
		which have not been received by the counting officer at the
		date of this statement. (This should be the total at line 1 above
		minus the total at line 11 above.)

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Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill, continued

	B(2)	Receipt of postal ballot papers—Personal identifiers	Number
		(Cancellations under paragraph 13 (spoilt) or 14 (lost or not	voting area
		received) should not be included in lines 14 to 17 below.)
	13	Number of covering envelopes set aside for the verification of
		personal identifiers on postal voting statements in accordance
		with paragraph 19(2) or (7).
	14	Number of postal voting statements not subject to verification
		procedure rejected as not completed under paragraph 20(3).
	15	Number of postal voting statements subject to verification
		procedure rejected as not completed under paragraph 21(3).
	16	Number of postal voting statements rejected following
		verification procedures due to the personal identifiers on the
		postal voting statement not matching those in the personal
		identifiers record under paragraph 21(3).
	17	Number of ballot papers rejected following verification
		procedures due to the number on the postal voting statement
		not matching the number on the ballot paper under paragraph
		21(5) to (8).

	C	Count of Ballot Papers	Number
			voting area
	18	Number of ballot papers returned by postal voters which were
		included in the count of ballot papers.
	19	Number of cases in which a covering envelope or its contents
		were marked “Rejected”.

	Signed: ...........................................................
		Counting officer
	NOTES
	1.	The references to paragraphs are to paragraphs of Schedule 4 to the Scottish
		Parliament (Elections etc.) Order 2010 as applied by the Parliamentary Voting
		System and Constituencies Act 2010.
	2.	The completed statement must be sent to the Secretary of State and to the
		Electoral Commission during a period of 6 days starting 10 days after the day
		of the poll.’.

Consideration of Bill: 1 November 2010

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Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill, continued

The Deputy Prime Minister

158

Page  255,  line  6  [Schedule  8],  at end insert—

‘(ba)

Part 5 of the Representation of the People (Northern Ireland)

Regulations 2008 (S.I. 2009/1741) or Part 3 of Schedule 2 to the Local

Elections (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 (S.I. 1985/454) (issue and

receipt of postal ballot papers);’.

The Deputy Prime Minister

159

Page  255,  line  25  [Schedule  8],  at end insert—

‘( )	rule 16A (corresponding number list);’.

The Deputy Prime Minister

160

Page  255,  line  36  [Schedule  8],  at end insert—

‘( )	a provision referred to in sub-paragraph (1)(ba), (3)(c) or (h) or

(4)(b),’.

The Deputy Prime Minister

161

Page  255,  line  39  [Schedule  8],  leave out paragraphs (b) and (c) and insert—

‘( )	rule 16A of the Local Elections Rules to the extent that it relates to

ballot papers issued in pursuance of rule 21(1) of those rules, or’.

The Deputy Prime Minister

162

Page  255,  line  44  [Schedule  8],  at end insert—

‘( )	The Chief Electoral Officer may not decide that the proceedings on the issue

and receipt of postal ballot papers in respect of the referendum and the relevant

elections are to be taken together unless the Chief Counting Officer agrees.’.

The Deputy Prime Minister

163

Page  256,  line  2  [Schedule  8],  leave out ‘, 3’ and insert ‘to 3B’.

The Deputy Prime Minister

164

Page  256,  line  13  [Schedule  8],  at end insert—

‘( )	rule 16A of the Local Elections Rules.’.

The Deputy Prime Minister

165

Page  256,  line  16  [Schedule  8],  at end insert—

‘( )	rule 16A(2) of the Local Elections Rules.’.

The Deputy Prime Minister

166

Page  256,  line  25  [Schedule  8],  at end insert—

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Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill, continued

‘( )	rule 26(1) of the Local Elections Rules.’.

The Deputy Prime Minister

167

Page  256,  line  31  [Schedule  8],  at end insert—

‘( )	rule 16A of the Local Elections Rules.’.

The Deputy Prime Minister

168

Page  257,  line  31  [Schedule  8],  leave out ‘this paragraph’ and insert ‘sub-

paragraph (2)’.

The Deputy Prime Minister

169

Page  257,  line  33  [Schedule  8],  at end insert—

‘(4)	The declaration of identity to be used by those entitled to vote by post in the

Assembly election must be in the form set out in Form 3A in Part 2 of this

Schedule.

(5)	Sub-paragraph (4) applies instead of the requirement in rule 24(1) of the

Assembly Elections Rules for a declaration of identity to be in a particular

form.

(6)	The declaration of identity to be used by those entitled to vote by post in the

local election must be in the form set out in Form 3B in Part 2 of this Schedule.

(7)	Sub-paragraph (6) applies instead of the requirement in rule 21(1) of the Local

Elections Rules for a declaration of identity to be in a particular form.’.

The Deputy Prime Minister

170

Page  258,  line  16  [Schedule  8],  at end insert—

‘( )	rule 26(3)(e) of the Local Elections Rules.’.

The Deputy Prime Minister

171

Page  258,  line  18  [Schedule  8],  at end insert—

‘( )	rule 26(3ZC) of the Local Elections Rules.’.

The Deputy Prime Minister

172

Page  260,  line  38  [Schedule  8],  at end insert—

‘22A (1)

This paragraph applies where the Chief Electoral Officer decides that the

proceedings on the issue and receipt of postal ballot papers in respect of the

referendum and the relevant elections are to be taken together.

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Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill, continued

(2)	If the Chief Electoral Officer thinks fit, he or she may require the relevant

registration officer to produce—

(a)	a combined postal voters list, consisting of the things that would

otherwise be included in—

(i)	the postal voters list for the referendum;

(ii)	the list under paragraph 2(4)(a) of Part 1 of Schedule 2 to the

Local Elections Order;

(iii)

the list under section 7(4)(a) of the Representation of the

People Act 1985 as applied for the purposes of Assembly

elections by Article 3(1) of, and Schedule 1 to, the Northern

Ireland Assembly (Elections) Order 2001;

(b)	a combined proxy postal voters list, consisting of the things that would

otherwise be included in—

(i)	the proxy postal voters list for the referendum;

(ii)	the list under paragraph 4(8) of Part 1 of Schedule 2 to the

Local Elections Order;

(iii)

the list under section 9(9) of the Representation of the People

Act 1985 as applied for the purposes of Assembly elections by

Article 3(1) of, and Schedule 1 to, the Northern Ireland

Assembly (Elections) Order 2001.’.

The Deputy Prime Minister

173

Page  265,  line  41  [Schedule  8],  at end insert—

‘( )	Where lists are prepared as mentioned in paragraph 7(2), 8(2) or 16(1)—

(a)	rules 49(1)(b) and 51 of the referendum rules apply to the packets of

those lists;

(b)	rule 58(1) of the Local Elections Rules applies as if sub-paragraph

(da), so far is it relates to those lists, were omitted.’.

The Deputy Prime Minister

174

Page  266,  line  6  [Schedule  8],  after ‘rule’ insert ‘60 or’.

The Deputy Prime Minister

175

Page  266,  line  9  [Schedule  8],  after ‘61’ insert ‘or 63’.

The Deputy Prime Minister

176

Page  266,  line  42  [Schedule  8],  leave out ‘61(2)’ insert ‘64(1) to (6)’.

The Deputy Prime Minister

177

Page  266,  line  42  [Schedule  8],  at end insert—

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Revised 1 November 2010