European Parliamentary Elections (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2004

Retention of documents

36.—(1) The returning officer shall retain at the same time as he retains the documents mentioned in rule 63 of the European Parliamentary elections rules—

(a) any packets referred to in paragraphs 24, 26(5) and 34 above, subject to paragraph 35 above, endorsing on each packet a description of its contents and the date of the election to which it relates, and

(b) a completed statement in Form H in the Appendix of the number of postal ballot papers issued.

(2) Where—

(a) any covering envelopes are received by the returning officer after the close of the poll;

(b) any envelopes addressed to postal voters are returned as undelivered too late to be readdressed, or

(c) any spoilt postal ballot papers are returned too late to enable other postal ballot papers to be issued,

the returning officer shall put them unopened in a separate packet, seal up such packet and endorse and retain it at a subsequent date in the manner described in sub-paragraph (1) above.

(3) Rules 64 and 65 of the European Parliamentary elections rules shall apply to any packet or document retained under this regulation.

(4) A copy of the statement referred to in sub-paragraph (1)(b) above shall be provided by the returning officer to the Electoral Commission.