Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011

Issue of official poll cards U.K.

15 (1) The counting officer must, as soon as practicable after the publication of notice of the referendum, send to electors and their proxies an official poll card. U.K.

(2) An official poll card must not be sent to a person—

(a) as an elector, if the person is entitled to a postal vote in Northern Ireland;

(b) as a proxy, if the person is entitled to a proxy postal vote in Northern Ireland.

(3) An official poll card must not be sent to a person registered, or to be registered, in pursuance of—

(a) an overseas elector's declaration, within the meaning of section 2 of the Representation of the People Act 1985 (registration of British citizens overseas), or

(b) a declaration made by virtue of subsection (5) of section 3 of that Act (extension of franchise for European Parliamentary Elections).

(4) An elector's official poll card must be sent or delivered to his or her qualifying address, and a proxy's to his or her address as shown in the list of proxies.

(5) In the case of an elector who is entitled to vote in the referendum in England and Wales or Scotland—

(a) an official poll card sent to the elector must be in the form set out in Form 5 in Part 2 of this Schedule;

(b) an official postal poll card sent to the elector must be in the form set out in Form 6 in Part 2 of this Schedule;

(c) an official poll card sent to the proxy of the elector must be in the form set out in Form 7 in Part 2 of this Schedule;

(d) an official postal poll card sent to the proxy of the elector must be in the form set out in Form 8 in Part 2 of this Schedule.

(6) In the case of an elector who is entitled to vote in the referendum in Northern Ireland—

(a) an official poll card sent to the elector must be in the form set out in Form 9 in Part 2 of this Schedule;

(b) an official poll card sent to the proxy of the elector must be in the form set out in Form 10 in Part 2 of this Schedule.

(7) An official poll card or official postal poll card may set out whatever information, in addition to that required by virtue of paragraph (5) or (6), the counting officer thinks appropriate.

(8) Different information may be provided in pursuance of paragraph (7) to different electors or descriptions of elector.

(9) In this rule—

• “qualifying address” means the address in respect of which a person is entitled to be registered on the register of electors;

• “elector” includes only those electors who, on the last day for publication of notice of the referendum, appear on a register to be used for the referendum.