The Neighbourhood Planning (Referendums) Regulations 2012

Appointment of polling observers and counting observers

19.—(1) The counting officer may appoint persons to attend at polling stations for the purpose of detecting personation (“polling observers”).

(2) Where the counting officer is not the relevant returning or counting officer, the counting officer must give notice in writing of the appointments of polling observers to the relevant returning or counting officer.

(3) That notice must state the names and addresses of the persons appointed and must be given not later than the fifth day (disregarding any day specified in rule 4) before the day of the poll.

(4) Not more than four polling observers or polling agents, or such greater number as the relevant returning or counting officer may by notice allow, are permitted to attend at any particular polling station and if the number of such polling observers or agents exceeds that number, the relevant returning or counting officer must determine which polling observer or agents are permitted to attend by lot and only the polling observers and agents on whom the lot falls is deemed to have been duly appointed.

(5) The counting officer must appoint persons to observe the counting of the votes and the verification of the ballot paper account (“counting observers”).

(6) Where the counting officer is not the relevant returning or counting officer, the counting officer must give notice in writing of the appointments of counting observers to the relevant returning or counting officer as soon as is practicable following the appointment.

(7) In the following provisions of these Rules references to polling observers and counting observers are to be taken as references to polling observers and counting observers whose appointments have been duly made.

(8) Where by these Rules any act or thing is required or authorised to be done in the presence of the polling observers or counting observers, the non-attendance of any such person at the time and place appointed for the purpose does not, if the act or thing is otherwise duly done, invalidate the act or thing done.