§ Mr. Laurence RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the statutory requirements which require the Electoral Roll number to be written on the ballot paper at elections; and if he will make a statement. [87504]
§ Mr. George HowarthThe provisions of Rule 37 of the Parliamentary Elections Rules (Schedule 1 of the Representation of the People Act 1983), which is also applied to European Parliamentary and local elections, requires a voter's electoral registration number to be written on the counterfoil of the ballot paper issued to that voter. Writing that number on the ballot paper would cause the voter to be identified. Under rule 47(1)(c), such a ballot paper would be liable to be declared void when the votes were counted.