Representation of the People Act 1983

69 Office of election agent and sub-agent. U.K.

(1) Every election agent and every sub-agent shall have an office to which all claims, notices, [F1 legal process and other] documents may be sent, and the address of the office shall be—

(a) declared to the appropriate officer at the same time as the appointment of the agent [F2 is declared to him]; and

(b) stated in the public notice of the name of the agent.

[F3 (1A) Subsection (1B) applies where—

(a) a candidate at an election of councillors to a county or county borough council in Wales has named themself as election agent,

(b) the home address form accompanying the candidate’s nomination paper contains a statement under rule 9(6) of Schedule 1 or 2 to the Local Elections (Principal Areas) (Wales) Rules 2021 that the candidate’s home address must not be made public, and

(c) the office address that is required to be declared under subsection (1) is also the candidate’s home address.

(1B) If the candidate (in their capacity as election agent) does not want the office address to be included in the public notice under section 67(6), the candidate must, in addition to declaring the office address, provide the appropriate officer with another address in England or Wales to be used for correspondence (“a correspondence address”).

(1C) Where the candidate (in their capacity as election agent) provides a correspondence address under subsection (1B)—

(a) the office address must not be included in the public notice under section 67(6), and

(b) the correspondence address must be included instead.]

(2) The office—

(a) of the election agent for a parliamentary election shall be within the constituency or an adjoining constituency [F4 or in a Welsh county or county borough, or London borough or district,] which is partly comprised in or adjoins the constituency, and that of a sub-agent shall be in the area within which he is appointed to act; and

(b) of an election agent for a local government election shall be within the local government area or in the constituency or one of the constituencies in which the area is comprised [F4 or in a Welsh county or county borough, or London borough or district,] which adjoins it, [F5 and that of a sub-agent shall be in the area within which he is appointed to act].

(3) Any claim, notice, [F6 legal process or other] document delivered at the office of the election agent or sub-agent [F7 , or delivered to a correspondence address provided under subsection (1C),] and [F8 addressed to the agent], shall be deemed to have been served on him and every election agent or sub-agent may in respect of any matter connected with the election in which he is acting be sued in any court having jurisdiction at the place where his office is situated.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 69(1) substituted (16.2.2001) by 2000 c. 41, s. 138(1)(2), Sch. 18 para. 19(1)(a) (with s. 156(6)); S.I. 2001/222, art. 2, Sch. 1 Pt. I (subject to transitional provisions in Sch. 1 Pt. II)

F2 Words inserted by Representation of the People Act 1985 (c. 50, SIF 42), s. 24, Sch. 4 para. 22

F3 S. 69(1A)-(1C) inserted (10.3.2022) by The Local Elections (Miscellaneous and Consequential Amendments) (Wales) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/263), regs. 1(2), 6(3) (with reg. 12(c))

F4 Words in s. 69(2)(a)(b) substituted (20.3.1995) by 1994 c. 19, s. 66(6), Sch. 16 para. 68(13) (with ss. 54(4)(7), 55(5), Sch. 17 paras. 22(1), 23(2)); S.I. 1995/546, art. 3, Sch. (with arts. 4-8)

F5 Words in s. 69(2)(b) inserted (14.12.1999) by 1999 c. 29, s. 17, Sch. 3 para. 1, 14; S.I. 1999/3376, art. 2

F6 Words in s. 69(3) substituted (16.2.2001) by 2000 c. 41, s. 138(1)(2), Sch. 18 para. 19(1)(b) (with s. 156(6)); S.I 2001/222, art. 2, Sch. 1 Pt. I (subject to transitional provisions in Sch. 1 Pt. II)

F7 Words in s. 69(3) inserted (10.3.2022) by The Local Elections (Miscellaneous and Consequential Amendments) (Wales) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/263), regs. 1(2), 6(4)(a) (with reg. 12(c))

F8 Words in s. 69(3) substituted (10.3.2022) by The Local Elections (Miscellaneous and Consequential Amendments) (Wales) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/263), regs. 1(2), 6(4)(b) (with reg. 12(c))

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 69 applied (N.I.) by S.I. 1986/2250, regs. 2, 3, 5, Sch. 1 Pt. I

C2 S. 69 applied (E.W.S.) by S.I. 1986/2209, regs. 2, 3, 5(1)(6)–(8), Sch. 1 Pt. I

C3 S. 69 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 S. 69 applied (with modifications) (N.I.) (4.5.1996) by 1996/1220, art. 3(1)(5)-(8), Sch. 1