Guidance for Returning Officers administering Local Government Elections in England

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Retrieval of cancelled postal votes

Where a postal ballot paper has been cancelled, you must retrieve both the postal voting statement and the ballot paper, if they have been returned, so that they do not go forward to the count.

There are no provisions to retrieve a postal ballot paper that has been reported as lost / not received postal ballot paper.

You must ensure that the postal ballot box is resealed in the presence of any agents present once cancelled postal ballot papers have been retrieved from the postal ballot box.1

Cancelling postal votes that have been returned2  

You should make arrangements for how you will deal with cancellations after postal packs have been issued and returned to you, including:

  • how you will be able to retrieve and cancel any postal ballot papers and postal voting statements that are going through or have already gone through the postal vote opening process
  • how you will explain what is happening to candidates and agents present at an opening session at which you need to retrieve and cancel a postal ballot paper 

This table summarises the steps you should take for managing the retrieval of cancelled postal votes:
 

Steps Actions to take
Step 1 During an opening session, retrieve the postal voting statement from the appropriate packet or box 
  • Any retrieval of documents must be done in full view of those who are entitled to be present at the postal vote opening. You must show them the ballot paper numbers on any cancelled documents
Step 2 Open the relevant postal ballot box and retrieve the ballot paper
  • You should organise a system of batching postal ballot papers to aid the retrieval of any cancelled postal votes
Step 3 Mark the retrieved documents as ‘cancelled’. Place the cancelled documents in the relevant packet and add details to the list of cancelled postal ballot papers

The list of cancelled ballot papers must include the following:3
  • the name and number of the elector as stated in the register of electors (or, in the case of an elector who has an anonymous entry, only their electoral number)
  • the number of the cancelled ballot paper
  • the number of any replacement postal ballot paper that has been issued to the elector
  • where the postal voter is a postal proxy, the name and address of the proxy

In the case of cancelled spoilt ballot papers, the list of spoilt ballot papers must also include the following:4

  • the name and number of the elector as stated in the register of electors (or, in the case of an elector who has an anonymous entry, only their electoral number)
  • the number of any replacement postal ballot paper that has been issued to the elector
  • where the postal voter is a postal proxy, the name and address of the proxy
Step 4 Reseal the postal ballot box
  • any agents present should be invited to apply their own seal to the resealed postal ballot box 
Last updated: 31 October 2023