Combined Guidance for Returning Officers at Local Government and Police and Crime Commissioner Elections in England

Keeping accurate records at the receipt and opening of postal votes is key to maintaining a clear audit trail.
 
You are required to complete a statement as to postal ballot papers for each election1 and the records you keep will be essential for ensuring that the statement is complete and accurate.

You are required to complete one statement for the local government election(s) and one statement for the PCC election. These documents form a key part of your audit trail. Separate statements are still required even where the issue of postal ballot papers has been combined. 

You should ensure that all of the figures required for the statement are accurately recorded during the receipt, opening and verification of postal votes. You should:

• maintain a clear audit trail of the receipt and opening of postal ballot packs 
• record the total number of envelopes received
• record the number of envelopes counted 
• ensure that all of the figures required for completion of the statement as to postal ballot papers are accurately recorded
• keep a record of the total number of envelopes received at your office and placed in a postal voters’ ballot box for audit purposes to check against the number of envelopes counted at opening
• complete a postal ballot paper account for every postal ballot box – we have provided a template
• prepare a list recording:
  • the total number of postal votes placed in each box
  • the total number of postal voters’ ballot boxes
• batch ballot papers in a way that ensures you are able to retrieve and cancel a particular ballot paper if required – for example, if you have to re-issue following a procedural error

For information on keeping a record of postal voting statements that have gone through the opening process and have been rejected, see our guidance on checking the personal identifiers.