SCHEDULE 5Assembly election rules

PART 3Contested elections

The poll

Tendered ballot papers49

1

If a person, representing himself to be—

a

a particular elector named on the register and not named in the postal voters list; or

b

a particular person named in the list of proxies as proxy for an elector and not entitled to vote by post as proxy,

applies for a ballot paper after another person has voted in person either as the elector or his proxy, the applicant shall, on satisfactorily answering the questions permitted by law to be asked at the poll, be entitled, subject to the following provisions of this rule, to mark a ballot paper (in these rules referred to as “a tendered ballot paper”) in the same manner as any other voter.

2

Paragraph (4) applies if—

a

a person applies for a ballot paper representing himself to be a particular elector named on the register;

b

he is also named in the postal voters list; and

c

he claims that he did not make an application to vote by post at the election.

3

Paragraph (4) also applies if—

a

a person applies for a ballot paper representing himself to be a particular person named as a proxy in the list of proxies;

b

he is also named in the proxy postal voters list; and

c

he claims that he did not make an application to vote by post as proxy.

4

The person shall, on satisfactorily answering the questions permitted by law to be asked at the poll, be entitled, subject to the following provisions of this rule, to mark a ballot paper (in these rules referred to as a “tendered ballot paper”) in the same manner as any other voter.

5

Paragraph (6) applies if before the close of the poll but after the last time at which a person may apply for a replacement postal ballot paper, a person represents himself to be—

a

a particular elector named on the register and who is also named in the postal voters list; or

b

a particular person named as a proxy in the list of proxies and who is also named in the proxy postal voters list,

and claims that he has lost or has not received his postal ballot paper.

6

The person shall, on satisfactorily answering the questions permitted by law to be asked at the poll, be entitled, subject to the following provisions of this rule, to mark a ballot paper (in these rules referred to as a “tendered ballot paper”) in the same manner as any other voter.

7

A tendered ballot paper shall—

a

be of a colour different from the other ballot papers; and

b

instead of being put into the ballot box, be given to the presiding officer and endorsed by him with the name of the voter and his number on the register, and set aside in a separate packet.

8

The name of the voter and his number on the register shall be entered on a list (in these rules referred to as the “tendered votes list”).

9

In the case of a person voting as proxy for an elector, the number to be endorsed or entered together with the voter’s name shall be the number of that elector.

10

This rule applies to an elector who has an anonymous entry subject to the following modifications—

a

in paragraphs (7)(b) and (8) the references to the name of the voter must be ignored;

b

otherwise, a reference to a person named on a register or in a list must be construed as a reference to a person whose number appears on the register or in the list (as the case may be).

11

This rule applies in the case of a person in respect of whom a notice has been issued under section 13B(3B) or (3D) of the 1983 Act as if—

a

in paragraphs (1)(a), (2)(a) and (5)(a) for “named on the register” there were substituted “in respect of whom a notice under section 13B(3B) or (3D) of the 1983 Act has been issued”; and

b

in paragraphs (7)(b) and (8) for “his number on the register of electors” there were substituted “the number relating to him on a notice issued under section 13B(3B) or (3D) of the 1983 Act”.

12

Where the polls at a constituency election and a regional election are to be taken together, the same tendered votes list for the constituency and regional elections at which the voters are entitled to vote may be used and, where it is so used, an entry in that list shall be taken to mean that tendered ballot papers were so marked in respect of each election, unless the list identifies the election at which a tendered ballot paper was so marked.