Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013

PART 3 Encouraging new applications

Registration officers to invite applications in year of first new canvass from those with existing registrations

8 (1) A registration officer in Great Britain must, within a prescribed period, give an invitation to make a new application for registration in a register maintained by the officer to each person who—

(a) has an entry in the register but has not had his or her entitlement to remain registered confirmed, and

(b) has not made a new application for registration.

(2) But the officer need not give an invitation at a time when the officer has reason to believe, from records available to the officer, that the person is no longer resident at the address to which the entry relates.

(3) The period prescribed for the purposes of this paragraph must begin in the year in which the first new canvass begins.

Powers to delay canvasses and timing of canvasses

9 (1) The Minister may by order—

(a) postpone any canvass to be conducted under section 10(1) of the Representation of the People Act 1983;

(b) make provision about the period during which canvass forms to be used for the purpose of such a canvass are to be given.

(2) The Minister may by order postpone the first new canvass.

(3) Any canvass forms to be used by a registration officer for the purpose of the first new canvass must be given within the period prescribed for the purposes of paragraph 8.

(4) The Minister may by order make provision about the period during which any canvass forms to be used for the purpose of the second new canvass are to be given.

(5) A registration officer is not required, before the commencement date, to do anything for the purpose of conducting any canvass under section 10(1) of the Representation of the People Act 1983 by reference to residence on the 15 October after the commencement date.

(6) An order under sub-paragraph (1) or (2) postponing a canvass must specify the period during which it is to be conducted; and the period must not end later than the 1 April after it begins.

(7) An order under sub-paragraph (1) or (2) postponing a canvass does not postpone or remove a duty to conduct any other canvass.

Canvass forms need not be supplied to addresses to which invitations supplied

10 (1) At the first new canvass, a registration officer is not required to supply a canvass form to an address if the officer thinks that it is unnecessary to do so and—

(a) the officer has given a person an invitation under paragraph 8 in respect of the address,

(b) the officer has given a person an invitation under section 9E of the Representation of the People Act 1983 in respect of the address, or

(c) a person is registered in respect of the address in a register maintained by the officer and the person’s entitlement to remain registered in the register has been confirmed.

(2) In deciding whether it is necessary to supply a canvass form to an address the registration officer must, in particular, consider whether supplying the canvass form is likely to result in the officer finding out about people residing at the address whom the officer might not otherwise find out about.

Registration officers to invite applications in year of second new canvass from those with existing registrations

11 (1) A registration officer in Great Britain must, on or as soon as reasonably practicable after the relevant date, give a person an invitation to make a new application for registration in a register maintained by the officer if the person—

(a) has an entry in the register but has not had his or her entitlement to remain registered confirmed, and

(b) has not made a successful new application for registration in the register.

(2) “The relevant date” means whichever of the following comes first—

(a) the date on which, at the second new canvass, a canvass form is completed and returned in respect of the address to which the person’s entry in the register relates;

(b) the date on which it appears to the officer that, at the second new canvass, no canvass form will be completed and returned in respect of that address;

(c) 31 October in the year of the second new canvass.

(3) But the officer need not give an invitation at a time when—

(a) the officer has reason to believe, from records available to the officer, that the person is no longer resident at that address, or

(b) the person has made a new application for registration which has not been determined.

Invitations under paragraph 8 or 11 and power to require application following invitation

12 The Minister may by order make provision in connection with invitations under paragraph 8 or 11, including provision of the kind mentioned in—

(a) section 9E(2) and (3) of the Representation of the People Act 1983, or

(b) paragraph 3C(2) of Schedule 2 to that Act.

13 (1) A registration officer who gives a person an invitation under paragraph 8 or 11 may subsequently require the person to make an application for registration by a specified date.

(2) A requirement under sub-paragraph (1) is of no effect if the person is not entitled to be registered.

(3) The Minister may by order make provision of the kind mentioned in section 9E(6) of the Representation of the People Act 1983 in connection with requirements under sub-paragraph (1).

(4) A registration officer may impose a civil penalty on a person who fails to comply with a requirement imposed by the officer under sub-paragraph (1).

(5) The Minister—

(a) must by order make provision of the kind mentioned in paragraphs 2 and 3 of Schedule ZA1 to the Representation of the People Act 1983 in connection with a civil penalty under sub-paragraph (4), and

(b) may by order make any other provision of the kind mentioned in that Schedule in connection with a civil penalty under that sub-paragraph.

(6) A civil penalty under sub-paragraph (4) received by a registration officer is to be paid into the Consolidated Fund.

Power to require additional information on poll cards at 2014 European Parliamentary election

14 Regulations under section 7(1) of the European Parliamentary Elections Act 2002 may include provision for the purpose of requiring a poll card to be used at the 2014 European Parliamentary general election to include information relating to changes made by Part 1 of this Act.

Certain provisions of this Part not to apply to persons within Part 5 or 6 below

15 In this Part of this Schedule, references to a person who has an entry in a register do not include a person who is a relevant person for the purposes of Part 5 or 6 of this Schedule.