Liz Dene, a member of the election 2020 team, has advised voters that as long as they clearly correct any mistake they make on their ballot paper, it will be counted – even if the counting machine cannot read it.
‘If voters shade the wrong oval for a candidate and they are at a polling station using a pencil, they can ask one of the polling station team for a rubber to erase it and make their correction,’ she said.
‘However, if they are at home and are using their postal vote and have used ink or a felt tip pen it can make it much harder – but they can correct it if they make their intentions clear.’
She said that one way to do this would be to shade the vote out completely, while another was to make a clear statement beside it to say it was the wrong vote.
‘It must be clear,’ she added.
‘It cannot simply just say no as this can be misconstrued, so if they write this is a wrong vote that would make it clear.
‘The voter must remember not to sign it like you would similar to making a mistake on a cheque as this will make their vote invalid.’
Voters must then follow the two-envelope mail ballot system by first putting their ballot paper in the secrecy envelope, envelope A, with no identifying information, then sign the declaration of identity and place it, with the secrecy envelope, into the addressed outer envelope, envelope B.
If ballot forms have not been put into the secrecy envelope under the election rules they will not be counted.
‘Counting machines will be used to count the votes on Thursday following the polls being closed on Wednesday,’ said Ms Dene.
‘But there is an adjudication process and the votes will also be viewed on the screen, plus any votes the machine cannot read it will flag up to us at which point we’ll check it. The returning officer will then make their call on whether it can be accepted.
‘There will be visual oversight.’
Super polling stations open today and tomorrow, while parish polling stations will open on Tuesday and the main election day, Wednesday.
Postal vote ballots have been given an extended deadline until 6am Wednesday.
The official declaration is expected to be on Thursday at Beau Sejour.
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