Guidance for Returning Officers administering a Greater London Authority (GLA) election

The verification of each poll can only be completed once the verification of all ballot boxes from polling stations and of all postal vote ballot boxes is complete and the verification statement produced for each poll.1

As you are dealing with three polls, with at least three ballot boxes per station, there will be a large volume of ballot boxes and papers within your venue. It is important that you have a clear audit trail to ensure each polling station box and postal vote box is accounted for. It is also important that the verification process enables clear control and separation of the three contests.

Verification statement

You must ensure that the verification statement containing the result of the verification of each ballot box is completed.2

The statement must in each case include the total number of postal ballot papers and the total number of ballot papers verified for the poll.3 You should sign the statement.

Any election agent present may make a copy of the statement as to the result of the verification4 and, to promote confidence in the result you should make copies available for the agents present once verification has been completed.

In line with the agreed protocol, you must send a copy of the statements to the GLRO. The GLRO will provide you with guidance on how this should be done.

On completion of the verification for each poll, you should place the ballot papers and other documents in secure packets under your own seal and the seals of any agents present who wish to affix their own seals until the commencement of the counting of the votes for each poll.

You should take all necessary steps to ensure the security of the ballot papers and the relevant stationery during any break in the verification and count proceedings.

Further information on ensuring the security of the ballot boxes is available in our guidance.

Where the count is to take place at a different venue to the verification, our guidance on the secure transport of the ballot boxes and other materials sets out how you can manage this process.