(1) Any voter voting by post marks the ballot paper personally, puts it into the official  ballot paper envelope, seals this envelope, signs and dates the affirmation in lieu of an  oath for the postal ballot printed on the polling card, inserts the sealed official ballot paper  envelope and the signed polling card into the official return envelope, seals the official  return envelope, and, via a postal company, sends the postal ballot return letter in good  time to the competent authority specified in subsection (2) and printed on the official  return envelope. The postal ballot return letter may also be handed in to this authority.  Once the postal ballot return letter has been received by the competent authority, it may  not be returned.

(2) The postal ballot return letters must be received by the Constituency Returning  Officer of the constituency for which the polling card is valid. If Electoral Boards have been  established for individual or several municipalities within a constituency by virtue of an  order pursuant to section 8 subsection (3) of the Federal Elections Act, the postal ballot  return letters must be received by the municipal authority which has issued the polling  cards; if Postal Ballot Boards have been established for individual administrative districts  within a constituency, the postal ballot return letters must be received by the  administrative authority of the district in which the municipalities that issued the polling  cards are located.

(3) The voter must mark the ballot paper and place it in the ballot paper envelope without being observed; section 56 subsection (8) applies accordingly. Section 57 applies  accordingly to voting by persons with disabilities. If the voter has had the ballot paper  marked by an assistant, the latter must confirm that he or she has marked the ballot in  accordance with the declared intent of the voter by signing the affirmation in lieu of an  oath for the postal ballot; the assistant must be sixteen years of age or older.

(4) In hospitals, retirement homes, senior living communities, nursing homes,  convalescent homes, socio-therapeutic correctional facilities and prisons as well as  collective living quarters, care must be taken to ensure that the ballot paper can be marked  and placed in the ballot paper envelope without the voter being observed. The  management of the establishment designates a suitable room, has it furnished and  equipped and advises the persons eligible to vote of the times at which the room is  available for exercise of the postal vote. Section 56 subsection (8) applies accordingly.

(5) The municipal authority informs the managements of the establishments located  within its municipal territory of the provisions of subsection (4) not later than the thirteenth  day before the election.