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

Receipt of sealed boxes of postal ballot papers at the verification

You should bring any postal ballot papers previously received, opened and processed to the verification and count venue in sealed ballot boxes, with an accompanying ballot paper account for each postal ballot box. 

You need to decide on the most effective arrangements for the delivery and receipt of sealed boxes of postal ballot papers from all of the postal vote opening sessions. 

Staff receiving the postal ballot boxes should use a checklist to ensure that all postal ballot boxes and postal ballot paper accounts are accurately accounted for. 

You must verify all packets and ballot boxes containing postal ballot papers in the same way as any ballot box from a polling station. As these will often be some of the first boxes being verified, they present an opportunity to create confidence in the process and in the count as a whole.1

Last updated: 19 December 2023