Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013

22 Notification of rejected postal vote

(1) In Schedule 4 to the Representation of the People Act 2000 (absent voting in Great Britain), after paragraph 7D insert—

“Notification of rejected postal vote

7E (1) Regulations may make provision as to circumstances in which, following the close of the poll at a parliamentary or local government election, a registration officer must—

(a) notify a person that the person’s postal ballot paper has been rejected, and

(b) where such notification is required to be given to a person appointed as proxy to vote for another (“the elector”) in respect of a proxy postal ballot paper, notify the elector that the ballot paper has been rejected.

(2) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (1), a postal ballot paper is “rejected” if it was not taken to have been duly returned in accordance with the appropriate rules because the returned postal voting statement was not duly completed.

(3) Regulations under this paragraph may include provision as to—

(a) the information to be notified (which may include information as to the respect in which the postal voting statement was not duly completed);

(b) the time within which the notification is to be given;

(c) the way in which it is to be given.

Regulations under paragraph 7E in relation to local government elections in Scotland

7F (1) The power to make regulations under paragraph 7E in relation to local government elections in Scotland is exercisable by the Scottish Ministers.

(2) Regulations made by the Scottish Ministers by virtue of this paragraph are subject to the affirmative procedure.

(3) Such regulations may—

(a) make different provision for different cases, circumstances or areas;

(b) contain such incidental, supplemental, saving or transitional provision as the Scottish Ministers think fit.”

(2) In section 7 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (Electoral Commission to be consulted on changes to Electoral Law), after subsection (2)(e) insert—

“(ea) regulations made by virtue of paragraph 7F of Schedule 4 to the Representation of the People Act 2000 (regulations made by the Scottish Ministers about notification of rejected postal votes in relation to local government elections in Scotland);”.