31.—(1) For the purposes of this article a person who has applied for a ballot paper for the purpose of voting in person, or who has marked, whether validly or not, and returned a ballot paper issued for the purpose of voting by post, shall be deemed to have voted, but for the purpose of determining whether an application for a ballot paper constitutes an offence under paragraph (6), a previous application made in circumstances which entitle the applicant only to mark a tendered ballot paper shall, if he does not exercise that right, be disregarded.
(2) A person shall be guilty of an offence if—
(a)he votes in person or by post, whether as an elector or as proxy, or applies to vote by proxy or by post as elector at an Assembly election, or at Assembly elections, knowing that he is subject to a legal incapacity to vote at the election or, as the case may be, at elections of that kind;
(b)he applies for the appointment of a proxy to vote for him at an Assembly election or at Assembly elections, knowing that he or the person to be appointed is subject to a legal incapacity to vote at the election or, as the case may be, at elections of that kind; or
(c)he votes, whether in person or by post, as proxy for some other person at an Assembly election, knowing that that person is subject to a legal incapacity to vote.
(3) For the purposes of paragraph (2), references to a person being subject to a legal incapacity to vote do not, in relation to things done before polling day at the election or first election at or for which they are done, include his being below voting age if he will be of voting age on that day.
(4) A person shall be guilty of an offence if—
(a)he votes as elector otherwise than by proxy either—
(i)more than once in the same Assembly constituency at any Assembly election;
(ii)in more than one Assembly constituency at an Assembly general election; or
(iii)in any Assembly constituency at an Assembly election when there is in force an appointment of a person to vote as his proxy at the election in some other constituency;
(b)he votes as elector in person at an Assembly election at which he is entitled to vote by post;
(c)he votes as elector in person at an Assembly election, knowing that a person appointed to vote as his proxy at the election either has already voted in person at the election or is entitled to vote by post at the election; or
(d)he applies for a person to be appointed as his proxy to vote for him at Assembly elections in any Assembly constituency without applying for the cancellation of a previous appointment of a third person then in force in respect of that or another constituency or without withdrawing a pending application for such an appointment in respect of that or another constituency.
(5) A person shall be guilty of an offence if—
(a)he votes as proxy for the same elector either—
(i)more than once in the same Assembly constituency at any Assembly election; or
(ii)in more than one Assembly constituency at an Assembly general election;
(b)he votes in person as proxy for an elector at an Assembly election at which he is entitled to vote by post as proxy for that elector; or
(c)he votes in person as proxy for an elector at an Assembly election knowing that the elector has already voted in person at the election.
(6) A person shall also be guilty of an offence if he votes as proxy—
(a)in the case of an Assembly general election, at constituency elections in Assembly constituencies in an Assembly electoral region (or in one such election);
(b)in the case of a constituency election other than at an Assembly general election, at a constituency election; or
(c)at a regional election (whether or not at an Assembly general election);
for more than two persons of whom he is not the spouse, civil partner, parent, grandparent, brother, sister, child or grandchild.
(7) A person shall also be guilty of an offence if he knowingly induces or procures some other person to do an act which is, or but for that other person’s want of knowledge would be, an offence by that other person under the foregoing paragraphs of this article.
(8) A person is not guilty of an offence under paragraph (4)(b) or (5)(b) only by reason of his having marked a tendered ballot paper in pursuance of rule 49(4) or (6) of Schedule 5.
(9) An offence under this article shall be an illegal practice, but—
(a)the court before whom a person is convicted of any such offence may, if they think it just in the special circumstances of the case, mitigate or entirely remit any incapacity imposed by virtue of article 123; and
(b)a candidate shall not be liable, nor shall his election be avoided, for an illegal practice under this article of any agent of his other than an offence under paragraph (7).
(10) Where a person is entitled to give two votes (whether in person as elector or by proxy, or by post as elector or by proxy) he votes once in relation to each Assembly election for which his votes are given.