House of Commons Public Bill Committee Proceedings

House of Commons

Session 2010 - 11
Internet Publications
Other Bills before Parliament

Report Stage Proceedings: 2 November 2010
273

Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill, continued

Please read the accompanying ‘Instructions to the Voter’

For your votes to be counted you must provide your date of birth [and signature]**. Please

write clearly in black ink.

I am the person the ballot papers numbered above were sent to. (The ballot paper number

can be found above and on the back of your ballot papers and you should check they match.

If they do not please contact the Returning Officer.)

Enter your Date of Birth
                         Day           Month                 Year

in the boxes on the right

e.g. 8 September 1961

would be 08 09 1961

[Please sign your name

inside the grey box on the

right]**

Electoral fraud is a crime. You must not vote using a ballot paper that is not addressed

to you or interfere with another voter’s ballot paper.

Report Stage Proceedings: 2 November 2010
274

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.’.

Report Stage Proceedings: 2 November 2010
275

Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill, continued

The Deputy Prime Minister

Agreed to  157

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

253 and insert—

Report Stage Proceedings: 2 November 2010
276

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.)

Report Stage Proceedings: 2 November 2010
277

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.’.

Report Stage Proceedings: 2 November 2010
278

Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill, continued

The Deputy Prime Minister

Agreed to  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

Agreed to  159

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

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

The Deputy Prime Minister

Agreed to  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

Agreed to  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

Agreed to  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

Agreed to  163

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

The Deputy Prime Minister

Agreed to  164

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

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

The Deputy Prime Minister

Agreed to  165

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

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

The Deputy Prime Minister

Agreed to  166

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

Report Stage Proceedings: 2 November 2010
279

Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill, continued

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

The Deputy Prime Minister

Agreed to  167

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

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

The Deputy Prime Minister

Agreed to  168

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

paragraph (2)’.

The Deputy Prime Minister

Agreed to  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

Agreed to  170

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

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

The Deputy Prime Minister

Agreed to  171

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

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

The Deputy Prime Minister

Agreed to  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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