Running electoral registration - Wales

Inspection of marked registers, marked absent voter lists and other election documentation

Any person may inspect the marked register and any notices amending it, plus the marked copies of the list of postal voters, the list of proxies, and the list of proxy postal voters and such other documents relating to an election as you are required to retain, except ballot papers, completed corresponding number lists, certificates as to employment on the day of the election, and the list of ballot papers rejected under the verification procedure.1   

Any person wanting to inspect the marked register or absent voters list must apply in writing and must state:2   

• which register or document they wish to inspect
• whether they wish to inspect a printed or data copy (where appropriate)
• the purposes for which any information will be used
• where the request concerns the marked register or lists, why inspection of the full register or unmarked lists would not be sufficient to achieve the purpose
• who will be inspecting the documents, and 
• the date on which they wish to make the inspection

You may refuse to allow inspection of these documents if you are satisfied that the purposes of the requestor can be met by inspection of the full register, in which case you must inform the requestor of this decision and provide information concerning the availability of the full register for inspection.3 Otherwise, the documents must be made available within 10 days of receipt of the application. You must arrange for them to be inspected under supervision.4 Inspection can take place anywhere you choose.
 
Those inspecting the documents can make copies of the registers and lists using handwritten notes only.5
 
The same safeguards apply regarding the supervision and protection of the information as apply with the inspection of the full register. 

The Security Service, Government Communications Headquarters, and Secret Intelligence Service are entitled to a free copy of any of the above documents on request. The police (including the National Crime Agency) are entitled to free copies of any of these documents on request if they have inspected them.6  

For guidance on access to voter ID data collected at polling stations see our guidance on access to polling station data.