Guidance for Candidates and Agents at local government elections in England

Invalid and rejected postal voting statements

Valid ballot papers are those ballot papers whose related postal voting statement has passed the signature and date of birth checks.

A very small number of voters do not need to sign their postal voting statement. These voters will have been granted a waiver because they are unable to sign or provide a consistent signature due to a disability or an inability to read or write. The postal voting statement sent to such electors will make this clear.

Invalid ballot papers are set aside and stored in secure packets.

Unless a waiver has been granted the Returning Officer (RO) will reject a postal voting statement if a signature and/or date of birth is missing, or if a signature and/or date of birth does not match that previously provided by the elector and held on record.

Rejected statements are attached to the relevant ballot paper or ballot paper envelope. They are marked as ‘rejected’ and shown to any agents present.

Agents can object to the RO’s decision to reject any postal vote and, if they do, the words ‘rejection objected to’ are added to it. However, the RO’s decision is final and the postal vote will remain rejected.

Other reasons for rejection include when  an individual handing in a postal vote to the Returning Officer:

  • does not fully complete the postal vote return form (incomplete)
  • hands in postal votes on behalf of more than the permitted number of electors
  • is a campaigner not permitted to handle postal votes
  • does not complete the postal vote return form (left behind)

In these cases the postal vote will be rejected. You may see these rejected postal votes sealed up with a description of its contents written on each packet.
 

Last updated: 16 October 2024