The National Assembly for Wales Referendum (Assembly Act Provisions) (Referendum Question, Date of Referendum Etc.) Order 2010

Voting procedure

25.—(1) Subject to any provision of these rules to the contrary, a ballot paper must be delivered to a voter who applies for one, and immediately before delivery —

(a) the number and (unless paragraph (2) applies) the name of the elector as stated in the copy of the register must be called out;

(b) the number of the elector must be marked on the list mentioned in rule 16(3)(d) beside the number of the ballot paper to be issued to the voter;

(c) a mark must be placed in that copy of the register against the number of the elector to note that a ballot paper has been received but without showing the particular ballot paper which has been received; and

(d) in the case of a person applying for a ballot paper as proxy, a mark must also be placed against that person’s name in the list of proxies.

(2) In the case of an elector who has an anonymous entry, the elector’s or, as the case may be, the proxy voter’s official poll card must be shown to the presiding officer and only the elector’s number is to be called out in pursuance of paragraph (1)(a).

(3) In the case of an elector who is added to the register in pursuance of a notice issued under section 13B(3B) or (3D) of the 1983 Act—

(a) the reference in paragraph (1)(a) to the copy of the register is to be read as a reference to the copy of the notice, and

(b) the reference in paragraph (1)(c) to a mark being placed in the copy of the register is to be read as a reference to a mark being made on a copy of the notice.

(4) On receiving the ballot paper, the voter must without delay —

(a) proceed into a compartment in the polling station and there secretly mark the voter’s ballot paper and fold it up so as to conceal the vote, and

(b) then show to the presiding officer the back of the paper so as to disclose the number and other unique identifying mark, and put the ballot paper so folded up into the ballot box in the presence of the presiding officer.

(5) The voter must leave the polling station as soon as the voter has put the ballot paper into the ballot box.