The Representation of the People (Ballot Paper) Regulations 2015

Statutory Instruments

2015 No. 656

Representation Of The People

The Representation of the People (Ballot Paper) Regulations 2015

Made

9th March 2015

Coming into force in accordance with regulation 1(1)

The Lord President of the Council, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 201(3) of, and rule 19(4) of Schedule 1 to, the Representation of the People Act 1983(1), makes the following Regulations.

The Lord President has consulted the Electoral Commission as required by section 7(2)(e) of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000(2).

In accordance with section 201(2) of the Representation of the People Act 1983(3), a draft of this instrument has been laid before Parliament and approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament.

Citation, commencement, transitional provision and interpretation

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Representation of the People (Ballot Paper) Regulations 2015 and come into force on the day after the day on which they are made.

(2) These Regulations do not apply to an election for which the notice of election has been issued before the Regulations come into force.

(3) In these Regulations “the Appendix” means the Appendix to the parliamentary elections rules in Schedule 1 to the Representation of the People Act 1983.

Form of ballot paper

2.  For the form of front of ballot paper in the Appendix substitute the form of front of ballot paper in Schedule 1 to these Regulations.

3.  For the form of back of ballot paper in the Appendix substitute the form of back of ballot paper in Schedule 1 to these Regulations.

Directions as to printing the ballot paper

4.  For the directions as to printing the ballot paper in the Appendix substitute the directions in Schedule 2 to these Regulations.

Signed by the authority of the Lord President of the Council

Sam Gyimah

Minister for the Constitution

Cabinet Office

9th March 2015

Regulations 2 and 3

SCHEDULE 1 FORMS

Form of Ballot Paper

Form of front of ballot paper

Form of back of ballot paper

Regulation 4

SCHEDULE 2 DIRECTIONS AS TO PRINTING

“Directions as to printing the ballot paper

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

2.   So far as is practicable, the arrangements set out in paragraphs 3 to 13 must be observed in the printing of the ballot paper.

3.   No word may be printed on the face except:

(a) the heading “Election of the Member of Parliament for the …………... constituency”;

(b) within that heading, the name of the constituency;

(c) the direction “Vote for only one candidate by putting a cross [X] in the box next to your choice”;

(d) the particulars of the candidates; and

(e) words forming part of the emblems mentioned at paragraph 10 below.

4.   A box must be printed around:

(a) the heading and name referred to in paragraph 3(a) and (b); and

(b) the direction referred to in paragraph 3(c);

and the direction referred to in paragraph 3(c) must be separated from the heading and name referred to in paragraph 3(a) and (b) by a horizontal rule extending across the box.

5.   No rule may be printed on the face except:

(a) as part of the box referred to in paragraph 4;

(b) the horizontal rule referred to in that paragraph;

(c) a horizontal rule above the particulars of the first candidate;

(d) horizontal rules separating the particulars of the candidates from one another;

(e) a horizontal rule below the particulars of the last candidate;

(f) as part of the boxes on the right-hand side of the ballot paper where the vote is to be marked.

6.   The horizontal rules referred to in paragraph 5(c), (d) and (e) must be equally spaced and the space between each of them must be a minimum of 2.5 centimetres.

7.   The boxes referred to in paragraph 5(f) must not touch any horizontal rule and each one must be equidistant between the horizontal rule above it and the horizontal rule below it.

8.   Each of the horizontal rules referred to in paragraph 5(c) and (d) must extend from a point level with the text on the left-hand side of the page to a point directly above the centre of the box below that rule.

9.   The horizontal rule referred to in paragraph 5(e) must:

(a) extend from a point level with the text on the left-hand side of the page to a point directly below the right-hand edge of the box above that rule; and

(b) be thicker than the other horizontal rules.

10.   Where a registered emblem is to be printed against a candidate’s particulars:

(a) it must be printed adjacent to and to the right of the candidate’s particulars; and

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

11.   All the words on the front of the ballot paper must appear in the same large type except that:

(a) the heading and name referred to in paragraph 3(a) and (b) must appear in very large and bold type;

(b) in the direction referred to in paragraph 3(c), the words “only one candidate” must appear in very large and bold type;

(c) the remainder of that direction must appear in very large type;

(d) the names of the candidates and the descriptions, if any, must appear in bold type.

12.   The surname of each candidate must appear in capitals and the candidates’ other names must be in lower case with initial capitals.

13.   The number and other unique identifying mark must be printed close to each other on the back of the ballot paper.”

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Appendix of Forms in the parliamentary elections rules contained in Schedule 1 to the Representation of the People Act 1983.

Regulations 2 and 3 and Schedule 1 insert a new form of ballot paper. Regulation 4 and Schedule 2 insert revised directions as to printing that ballot paper.

(1)

1983 c.2. Section 201(3) was inserted by the Representation of the People Act 2000 (c.2), section 8 and paragraphs 1 and 21 of Schedule 1, and amended by the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (c.41), section 158(1) and paragraph 6(1) and (7)(d) of Schedule 21. Rule 19(4) of Schedule 1 was inserted by the Electoral Administration Act 2006 (c.22), section 30(1) and (2)(b). The powers conferred on the Secretary of State by section 201(3) and rule 19(4) were made exercisable concurrently by the Lord President of the Council and the Secretary of State by the Lord President of the Council Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/1837).

(2)

2000 c.41.

(3)

In section 201, subsection (2) was substituted by the Representation of the People Act 1985 (c.50), section 24 and paragraph 69 of Schedule 4. Subsection (2) was amended by the Transfer of Functions (Returning Officers’ Charges) Order 1991 (S.I. 1991/1728), article 5(b) and by the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000, section 158(1) and paragraph 6(1) and (7)(b) of Schedule 21.