Representation of the People Act 1983

28 [F1 (1) The returning officer shall as soon as practicable after the publication of notice of the election send to electors and their proxies an official poll card. U.K.

(1A) An official poll card shall not be sent to a person registered, or to be registered, in pursuance of an overseas elector's declaration.]

(2) An elector’s official poll card shall be sent or delivered to his qualifying address, F2 ... .

[F3 (2A) A proxy’s official poll card shall be sent or delivered to the address which—

(a) is shown as the proxy’s address in the list of proxies; or

(b) in the case of a proxy for an elector with an anonymous entry in a register maintained by the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland, would be so shown but for section 7(4A) of the Representation of the People Act 1985.]

(3) The official poll card shall be in the prescribed form and shall set out—

(a) the name of the constituency;

(b) the elector’s name, qualifying address and number on the register;

(c) the date and hours of the poll and the situation of the elector’s polling station.

[F4 (d) such other information as is prescribed;

(e) such other information as the returning officer thinks appropriate,

and different information may be provided in pursuance of sub-paragraph (d) and (e) to different electors or descriptions of elector.]

[F5 (3ZA) In the case of a form prescribed under paragraph (3) that relates to—

(a) elections in England and Wales or Scotland, and

(b) an official poll card to be sent to an elector or proxy voting in person at a polling station,

the form must include details of the documents the voter needs to bring to the polling station, namely—

(i) in the case of an elector (other than an elector with an anonymous entry) or a proxy, any of the forms of identification for the time being referred to in rule 37(1H);

(ii) in the case of an elector with an anonymous entry, the elector’s official poll card and an anonymous elector’s document showing the same electoral number as the electoral number shown on the official poll card.]

[F6 (3A) In the case of an elector with an anonymous entry, instead of containing the matter mentioned in paragraph (3)(b) above the polling card shall contain such matter as is prescribed.]

(4) Paragraph (6) of rule 7 above applies for the interpretation of this rule.

Textual Amendments

F1 Sch. 1 rule 28(1)(1A) substituted (1.1.2007 for E.W.S. and 14.5.2008 for N.I.) for Sch. 1 rule 28(1) by Electoral Administration Act 2006 (c. 22), ss. 47, 77, Sch. 1 para. 70(2); S.I. 2006/3412, art. 3, Sch. 1 para. 14(w)(bb)(iii) (subject to transitional provisions in art. 6, Sch. 2); S.I. 2008/1316, arts. 2, 3

F2 Words in Sch. 1 rule 28(2) omitted (15.9.2014) by virtue of The Anonymous Registration (Northern Ireland) (No. 2) Order 2014 (S.I. 2014/1880), arts. 1(1), 2(2)(a)

F3 Sch. 1 rule 28(2A) inserted (15.9.2014) by The Anonymous Registration (Northern Ireland) (No. 2) Order 2014 (S.I. 2014/1880), arts. 1(1), 2(2)(b)

F4 Sch. 1 rule 28(3)(d)(e) and words inserted (1.1.2007 for E.W.S. and 14.5.2008 for N.I.) by Electoral Administration Act 2006 (c. 22), ss. 47, 77, Sch. 1 para. 70(3); S.I. 2006/3412, art. 3, Sch. 1 para. 14(w)(bb)(iii) (subject to transitional provisions in art. 6, Sch. 2); S.I. 2008/1316, arts 2, 3

F5 Sch. 1 rule 28(3ZA) inserted (16.1.2023) by Elections Act 2022 (c. 37), s. 67(1), Sch. 1 para. 14; S.I. 2022/1401, reg. 2(d)(vi) (with reg. 3(1))

F6 Sch. 1 rule 28(3A) inserted (E.W.S.) (1.1.2007) by Electoral Administration Act 2006 (c. 22), ss. 10(2), 77, Sch. 1 para. 14(3); S.I. 2006/3412, art. 3, Sch. 1 para. 1, 12(a) (subject to transitional provisions in art. 6, Sch. 2)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 Sch. 1 rule 28 applied (N.I.) by S.I. 1986/2250, regs. 2, 3, 5, Sch. 1 Pt. I

C2 Sch. 1 rule 28 applied (E.W.S.) by S.I. 1986/2209, regs. 2, 3, 5(1)(6)–(8), Sch. 1 Pt. I

C3 Sch. 1 rule 28 applied (with modifications) (N.I.) (4.5.1996) by S.I. 1996/1220, art. 3(1)(5)-(8), Sch. 1

Sch. 1 rule 28 applied (with modifications) (N.I.) (25.4.1998) by S.I. 1998/1126, art. 6, Sch. 2

Sch. 1 rule 28 applied (with modifications) (1.8.2001) by S.I. 2001/2599, art. 3, Sch. 1 (as substituted (10.2.2009) by S.I. 2009/256, arts. 1(2), 3, Sch. 1)

C4 Sch. 1 rule 28(1)-(3) applied (with modifications) (31.7.1997) by 1997 c. 61, s. 3, Sch. 3 para. 13 Table 2