Guidance for (Acting) Returning Officers administering a UK Parliamentary election in Great Britain

Public inspection of election documentation in Scotland

Any person may inspect the marked register and any notices amending it, plus the marked copies of the list of postal voters, the list of proxies, and the list of postal proxy voters and such other documents relating to an election as you are required to retain, except ballot papers, completed corresponding number lists, certificates as to employment on the day of the election, and the list of ballot papers rejected under the verification procedure.1    

Any person wanting to inspect the marked register or absent voters list must apply in writing and must state:2

  • which register or document they wish to inspect
  • whether they wish to inspect a printed or data copy (where appropriate)
  • the purposes for which any information will be used
  • where the request concerns the marked register or lists, why inspection of the full register or unmarked lists would not be sufficient to achieve the purpose
  • who will be inspecting the documents, and 
  • the date on which they wish to make the inspection

You may refuse to allow inspection of these documents if you are satisfied that the purposes of the requestor can be met by inspection of the full register, in which case you must inform the requestor of this decision and provide information concerning the availability of the full register for inspection.3 Otherwise, the documents must be made available within 10 days of receipt of the application. You must arrange for them to be inspected under supervision.4 Inspection can take place anywhere you choose.
 
Those inspecting the documents can make copies of the registers and lists using handwritten notes only.5 Laptop computers and other recording equipment may not be used except by police and security organisations listed in our guidance on Election documentation available to police and security organisations in Scotland.

Copies of the other election documentation open to inspection may not be made in any form. 

The same safeguards apply regarding the supervision and protection of the information as apply with the inspection of the full register

  • any article 89 GDPR purposes
  • electoral purposes
Last updated: 5 December 2024