Guidance for Returning Officers administering Local Government Elections in England

You must give counting agents reasonable facilities for overseeing the verification and counting of the votes, and provide them with relevant information. 

In particular, the law requires that where votes are counted by sorting the ballot papers according to candidate and then counting each set of ballot papers, the counting agents are entitled to satisfy themselves that the ballot papers are correctly sorted.1  

You must also give notice in writing to counting agents of the time and place at which the verification and counting of votes will start.2  

Further information can be found in our guidance on the appointment of counting agents.