The National Assembly for Wales (Representation of the People) Order 2007

Form CK1: Directions as to printing the ballot paper: constituency election

Rule 24(3) of Schedule 5

1.  Nothing is to be printed on the ballot paper except in accordance with these directions.

2.  So far as practicable, the arrangements set down below shall be observed in the printing of the ballot paper.

3.  Nothing in paragraph 2 prohibits the front of the ballot paper containing more than one column of numbers, candidates' particulars and spaces where the vote is to be marked if the returning officer thinks it is appropriate for the ballot paper to be printed with more than one column, but in such a case each column must be separated by a double vertical rule.

4.—(1) This paragraph makes provision in respect of that part of the ballot paper appearing above the highest horizontal rule.

(2) The group of words in English to the left and the group of words in Welsh to the right are each referred to in these directions as a block (and a block also includes the rectangle and representation in that rectangle of how a vote is to be marked).

(3) The blocks may be reversed so that the block with the Welsh words is to the left and the block with the English words is to the right.

(4) The first two lines of each block shall be printed in large capitals.

(5) The lines of each rectangle in a block are not to be regarded as rules for the purposes of these directions.

5.  No word shall be printed on the front of the ballot paper except the words set out in the form of constituency ballot paper appearing in each block, the particulars of the candidates and words forming part of registered emblems.

6.  The blocks, numbers, particulars of the candidates (except their addresses) and sides of the rectangles in which a vote is to be marked shall be printed in bold form on the ballot paper.

7.  No rule shall be printed on the front of the ballot paper except—

(a) the first horizontal rule below the blocks, the horizontal rules separating the particulars of the candidates from one another and the horizontal rule appearing beneath the candidate whose particulars appear last; and

(b) the vertical rules separating those particulars from the numbers on the left hand side and the spaces on the right where the vote is to be marked (together with the vertical rule to the left of the numbers so mentioned and the vertical rule to the right of the spaces so mentioned).

8.  The space on the ballot paper between each horizontal rule and the next horizontal rule below it shall be 2.5 centimetres.

9.  On the ballot paper the surname of each candidate shall in all cases be printed by itself in large capitals, and his full particulars (except his surname) shall be set out below it and shall be printed in ordinary type except that small capitals shall be used—

(a) if his surname is the same as another candidate's, for his other names; and

(b) if his other names are also the same as the other candidate's, either for his home address or for his description unless each of them is the same as that of another candidate with the same surname and other names.

10.  Where a registered emblem is to be printed against a candidate’s particulars on the ballot paper—

(a) it shall be printed between the candidate’s particulars and the vertical rule separating the candidate’s particulars from the space where the vote may be marked; and

(b) its size as printed shall not exceed 2 centimetres square.

11.  The number and other unique identifying mark may be printed close to each other on the back of the ballot paper.