Where the counting officer receives a valid postal voting statement without the postal ballot paper to which it relates, the counting officer may, at any time prior to the close of the poll, check the list kept under rule 39 to see whether the number of a postal ballot paper to which the statement relates is entered in that list.

Where the counting officer receives a postal ballot paper without the postal voting statement to which it relates, the counting officer may, at any time prior to the close of the poll, check the list kept under rule 39 to see whether the number of that ballot paper is entered in that list.

The counting officer must conduct the checks required by paragraphs (1) and (2) as soon as practicable after the receipt of packets from every polling station being used for the purposes of the business referendum.

Where the ballot paper number in the list matches that number on a valid postal voting statement or, as the case may be, the postal ballot paper, the counting officer must retrieve that statement or paper.

The counting officer must then take the appropriate steps under this Part of these Rules as though any document earlier marked “provisionally rejected” had not been so marked and must amend the document accordingly.