Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:C2025C00152:schedule:3:p1
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:C2025C00152
Segment Type: schedule
Provision Reference: sch 3 (pt 1/48)
Character Range: 954019–956737

Schedule 3—Rules for the conduct of a preliminary scrutiny of declaration votes
Subsection 266(3)

 1. The DRO shall produce unopened all envelopes containing declaration votes of the kind to which the preliminary scrutiny relates received by the DRO:
 (a) in the case of the first preliminary scrutiny—before the commencement of that scrutiny; and
 (b) in the case of a subsequent preliminary scrutiny—after the commencement of the last preceding preliminary scrutiny and before the commencement of the subsequent preliminary scrutiny.
 3. If the DRO has reason to doubt that the signature on the postal vote certificate that purports to be the elector's signature is the elector's signature, the DRO must check the signature against the most recent record (if any) of the elector's signature that is available to the DRO.
 3A. For each envelope in relation to which the following paragraphs are satisfied:
 (a) the envelope purports to contain a provisional vote ballot paper;
 (b) the DRO has reason to doubt that the signature on the envelope that purports to be the elector's signature is the elector's signature;
the DRO must check the signature against the most recent record (if any) of the elector's signature that is available to the DRO. If, after so checking the signature, the DRO is not satisfied that the signature on the envelope is the signature of the elector, the DRO must make all reasonable attempts to contact the elector within 3 days after the election, to require the elector to provide evidence of his or her identity by the first Friday following the polling day for that election.
 4. The DRO shall divide the envelopes being dealt with into groups, as follows:
 (a) in one group, the envelopes that meet the requirements of paragraph 6;
 (b) in another group, the envelopes that do not meet those requirements.
 5. The DRO shall, without opening the envelopes, subject to the operation of paragraphs 23 and 24, exclude from further scrutiny the ballot papers contained in envelopes that do not meet the requirements of paragraph 6.
 6. An envelope meets the requirements of this paragraph if the DRO is satisfied:
 (a) in the case of an envelope purporting to contain a postal ballot paper, other than an envelope sent under section 186 to a registered general postal voter who was registered on the ground specified in paragraph 184A(2)(e) or (f), that the signature on the certificate is that of the elector and that:
 (i) the signature purports to be witnessed by an authorised witness; or
 (ii) the signature is taken to be witnessed by an authorised witness because of subsection 194(1A); and
 (b) in the case of an envelope purporting to contain a pre‑poll vote ballot paper, that