Referendums (Scotland) Act 2020

Applications for designation under paragraph 7

8 (1) A permitted participant seeking to be designated under paragraph 7 must make an application for that purpose to the Electoral Commission.

(2) An application for designation must—

(a) be accompanied by information or statements designed to show that the applicant adequately represents those campaigning for the outcome in the referendum in relation to which the applicant seeks to be designated, and

(b) be made within the application period.

(3) Where an application for designation has been made to the Commission in accordance with this paragraph, the application must be determined by the Commission within the decision period.

(4) If there is only one application in relation to a particular outcome in the referendum, the Commission must designate the applicant unless they are not satisfied that the applicant adequately represents those campaigning for that outcome.

(5) If there is more than one application in relation to a particular outcome in the referendum, the Commission must designate whichever of the applicants appears to them to represent to the greatest extent those campaigning for that outcome unless they are not satisfied that any of the applicants adequately represents those campaigning for that outcome.

(6) In this paragraph—

• “the application period” is the period of 28 days ending at 12 noon on the day before the first day of the decision period, and

• “the decision period” is the period of 16 days ending with the second day before the first day of the referendum period.