Local Elections (Northern Ireland) (Amendment) Order 2001

27.  After paragraph 27 of Schedule 9 to the 1962 Act (electoral offences) insert:

“Prohibition on publication of exit polls

27A.— (1) A person who publishes before the poll at a local election is closed—

(a) any statement relating to the way in which voters have voted at the election where that statement is (or might reasonably be taken to be) based on information given by voters after they have voted, or

(b) any forecast as to the result of the election which is (or might reasonably be taken to be) based on information so given,

is guilty of an electoral offence.

(2) In this paragraph—

• “forecast” includes estimate;

• “publish” means make available to the public at large, or any section of the public, in whatever form and by whatever means;

and any reference to the result of an election is a reference to the result of the election either as a whole or so far as any particular candidate or candidates at the election is or are concerned.”.