Guidance for Returning Officers administering Local Government Elections in England

Delivery of postal votes from council offices to the Returning Officer

You should advise the authorised person of the time, location and frequency for the delivery of the accepted postal votes handed in to them. 

The authorised person must ensure that the packets containing the accepted postal votes and the postal vote return forms are kept securely until they are delivered to you. The methods of storage and transportation of the postal votes should allow you to be satisfied that the postal ballot papers are kept securely and cannot be interfered with.

Before delivery to you, the authorised person must first make up into separate packets the accepted postal votes and the postal vote return forms, with a description of the contents written on each packet.  Each packet must be sealed.1   

Delivery of rejected postal votes from council offices to the Returning Officer

The authorised person must seal in a separate packet any rejected postal votes and accompanying postal vote return forms2  and deliver to you.3  

Managing the receipt of postal votes delivered from council offices to the Returning Officer

When you receive the packets of postal votes that have been delivered by hand to council offices, you should ensure they are managed in an appropriate way. 

The packets of accepted postal votes must be stored in appropriate receptacles. Our guidance on Return and receipt of postal votes has more information about secure storage of returned postal votes. 

You are required to keep a record of postal votes that were rejected when handed in at a council office. Our guidance on Preparing a record of those postal votes that were rejected when handed in has more information about keeping this list. You should ensure that these packets are stored securely until you opened the packets to compile the list.  

You should ensure that the packets of postal vote return forms for accepted postal votes are stored securely until they are forwarded on to the ERO in England and Wales or retained in Scotland.  Our guidance on Responsibility for sealing and retaining election documents has more information. 

 

Last updated: 26 February 2024