The election documentation listed below must be kept securely for one year.
You should make sure that the packing process is as transparent as possible. You should maintain a clear audit trail when packaging the documents as this will help to ensure that retrieval of the documents is facilitated should anyone wish to inspect the public documents.
The packaging and labelling system you use should both provide secure storage and support timely retrieval.
A clear audit trail and transparent process can be achieved by:
producing clear labels for each packet
you must seal all of the relevant documentation in separate packets and mark each packet with a description of its contents, the date of the election and the name of the constituency or region1
the labels should state how long the packet is to be kept and when it is to be destroyed (unless otherwise directed by a court order)
the labels for documents open to public inspection and for documents that are not open to public inspection should be different. As a minimum, the packets containing documents not open to public inspection should clearly state this fact2
Ensure that you have factored the parcelling up of documents into your planning by:
covering packing instructions as part of your training for polling station staff, postal voting supervisors and count supervisors
providing written instructions, this should also help to reduce the risk of documents being packaged wrongly. A template guide to packaging materials at the close of poll is available, which you could adapt and provide to polling station staff
creating a list of all documents to be retained. You should keep a record of all of the materials that you have a duty to retain and ensure that all of the items are accounted for and delivered securely in accordance with data protection requirements. You should also record the number of parcels you have retained
It is important to ensure that all packets and receptacles containing election documents will be stored securely so that no unauthorised persons can tamper with them.