The Health Professions Council (Election Scheme) Rules Order of Council 2004

Postal Voting

9.—(1) The Independent Scrutineer shall arrange for the distribution by post of ballot papers, together with lists of candidates and their nominators, any election statements (with any photographs of the candidates included on them) and return envelopes.

(2) The return envelopes shall be addressed to the Independent Scrutineer at the offices of the Council or to such other address as the Returning Officer may determine.

(3) The ballot papers and the lists of candidates and nominators shall be in such form as the Returning Officer may determine and, in particular, where there are vacancies for a registrant member and alternate member to represent the same part of the register, the Returning Officer may provide for the polls for those vacancies to be conducted using the same ballot paper.

(4) The Independent Scrutineer shall at least eight days before the polling day send to the registered address of each elector entitled to vote in the poll the ballot paper, the lists of candidates and their nominators, a return envelope and any statements issued in accordance with rule 6(3) (with any photographs of the candidates included on them).

(5) An elector shall only be entitled to vote for candidates from that part of the register in which he is registered but shall be entitled to vote in an election even if he lives or works outside the United Kingdom.

(6) The elector shall record his vote on the ballot paper in accordance with the instructions on the ballot paper.

(7) The elector shall enclose the ballot paper in the return envelope and seal the envelope without making on it any distinguishing mark and return the envelope and its contents to the address given on the return envelope so that it is received there by polling day.

(8) The Independent Scrutineer may replace a ballot paper or a return envelope which is inadvertently spoiled or destroyed if an application is made to the Returning Officer in writing which includes an undertaking by the applicant that he has not marked and will not mark more than one ballot paper nor vote electronically in the same election.