Transitional provisions relating to proxy voting
47(1)This paragraph applies where—
(a)a proxy appointment is in force immediately before the day specified for the purposes of this paragraph (“the specified day”) as a result of an application made before the day on which the relevant provisions of Schedule 4 come into force, and
(b)the appointment has effect immediately before the specified day in relation to Assembly elections or a particular Assembly election.
(2)On the specified day, the proxy appointment ceases to have effect as mentioned in sub-paragraph (1)(b).
(3)The Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland must, before the specified day, send the person who is entitled to vote by proxy by means of the proxy appointment—
(a)a notice informing the person that the appointment ceases to have effect as mentioned in sub-paragraph (1)(b) on the specified day (naming that day), and
(b)information about how to make a fresh application to vote by proxy.
(4)As soon as practicable after the specified day, the Chief Electoral Officer must alter the relevant absent voters’ records as necessary to reflect the change to the proxy appointment resulting from sub-paragraph (2).
(5)More than one day may be specified for the purposes of this paragraph if the relevant provisions of Schedule 4 come into force on different days (and in such a case references in this paragraph to the specified day and to the relevant provisions of Schedule 4 are to be construed accordingly).
(6)In this paragraph and paragraph 48—
“Assembly election” means an election to the Northern Ireland Assembly;
“proxy appointment” means an appointment of a person to vote as proxy for another person;
“relevant absent voters’ records” means any lists prepared under sections 7(4) and 9(9) of the Representation of the People Act 1985 (as applied by Schedule 1 to the Northern Ireland Assembly (Elections) Order 2001 (S.I. 2001/2599)) which have not been published under regulation 66(3) of the Representation of the People (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2008 (S.I. 2008/1741) (as so applied);
“relevant provisions of Schedule 4” means paragraphs 2(2) and 6(2) of Schedule 4;
“specified” means specified by the Secretary of State in regulations made by statutory instrument.