23.—(1) This paragraph applies to any postal voting statement contained in an envelope that is set aside for personal identifier verification in accordance with paragraph 20(2)or (7).
(2) The constituency returning officer must satisfy himself that the postal voting statement is duly completed and as part of that process must compare the date of birth and the signature on the postal voting statement against the date of birth and signature contained in the personal identifier record relating to the person to whom the postal ballot paper was addressed.
(3) Where the constituency returning officer is not so satisfied, he shall mark the statement “rejected”, attach to it the ballot paper envelope, or if there is no such envelope, the ballot paper, and subject to sub-paragraph (4), place it in the receptacle for rejected votes (verification procedure).
(4) Before placing any postal voting statement in the receptacle for rejected votes (verification procedure), the constituency returning officer must show it to the agents and, must permit them to view the entries in the personal identifiers record which relate to the person to whom the postal voting statement was addressed, and if any of them object to his decision, he shall add the words “rejection objected to”.
(5) The constituency returning officer shall then examine the number (or numbers) on the postal voting statement against the number (or numbers) on the ballot paper envelope and, where they are the same, he shall place the statement and the ballot paper envelope respectively in the receptacle for postal voting statements (verification procedure) and the receptacle for ballot paper envelopes.
(6) Where—
(a)the number on a valid postal voting statement is not the same as the number on the ballot paper envelope; or
(b)the envelope has no number on it (or only one number when the postal voting statement has more than one),
the constituency returning officer shall open the envelope.
(7) Sub-paragraph (8) applies where—
(a)there is a valid postal voting statement but no ballot paper envelope; or
(b)the ballot paper envelope has been opened under paragraph 20(5) or sub-paragraph (6).
(8) In the circumstances described in sub-paragraph (7), the constituency returning officer shall place—
(a)in the postal ballot box any ballot paper the number on which is the same as the number on the valid postal voting statement;
(b)in the receptacle for rejected votes (verification procedure), any other ballot paper, with the postal voting statement attached and marked “provisionally rejected”;
(c)in the receptacle for rejected votes (verification procedure) any valid postal voting statement marked “provisionally rejected” where—
(i)there is no ballot paper; or
(ii)in the case of a statement on which the number of more than one ballot paper appears, there is not a sufficient number of ballot papers and, in such a case, shall mark the statement to indicate which ballot paper is missing; and
(d)in the receptacle for postal voting statements (verification procedure), any valid statement not disposed of under sub-paragraph (b) or (c).