The Representation of the People (England and Wales) Regulations 2001

[F1 Requirements of return of postal voting documents form E+W

79A.— (1) The requirements of this regulation are—

(a) the person handing in a postal voting document (“P”) completes a form containing the following information (a “return of postal voting documents form”)—

(i) P’s name and address,

(ii) whether P is handing in P’s own postal voting documents,

(iii) the number of other electors for whom P is handing in postal voting documents,

(iv) the total number of envelopes containing postal ballot papers P is handing in, including P’s own,

(v) the reason P is handing in postal voting documents for other electors,

(vi) a declaration by P that P has not handed in postal voting documents at any polling station or to the returning officer for a total of more than the number of electors other than P set out in regulation 79B(1)(c) or 82B(1)(c), including those being handed in at that time, and either—

(aa) that to the best of P’s knowledge, P is not a political campaigner for whom it is an offence to handle the postal voting documents concerned in accordance with section 112A of the 1983 Act, or

(bb) that P is a political campaigner and is only handing in postal voting documents for P and for P’s spouse, civil partner, parent, grandparent, brother, sister, child or grandchild, or someone for whom P provides regular care or for whom regular care is provided by an organisation which employs or engages P, and

(b) the relevant officer has endorsed the return of postal voting documents form returned by P to confirm the relevant officer’s name and that—

(i) the relevant officer is satisfied that the form has been completed properly and provides the information required by paragraph (a),

(ii) the relevant officer does not suspect that the number of electors other than P for whom P is handing in postal voting documents exceeds the number of electors set out in regulation 79B(1)(c) or 82B(1)(c),

(iii) the relevant officer does not suspect that P is a political campaigner who is committing an offence under section 112A of the 1983 Act, and

(iv) the postal voting documents to which the form relates are not rejected.

(2) For the purposes of paragraph (1)(a)(vi)(bb), two people living together as if they were a married couple or civil partners are treated as if they were spouses or civil partners of each other.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Regs. 79A-79D inserted (12.12.2023 with effect in accordance with reg. 1(2)) by The Representation of the People (Postal Vote Handling and Secrecy) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/1225), regs. 1(2), 2(6)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 Regs. 79A-79D applied (with modifications) (E.) (12.12.2023 with effect in accordance with S.I. 2023/1225, reg. 1(2)) by S.I. 2012/323, Sch. 4 Table 6 (as amended by The Representation of the People (Postal Vote Handling and Secrecy) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/1225), regs. 1(2), 6(3)(b)(iii))

C2 Regs. 79A-79D applied (with modifications) (E.) (12.12.2023 with effect in accordance with S.I. 2023/1225, reg. 1(2)) by S.I. 2012/444, Sch. 4 Table 6 (as amended by The Representation of the People (Postal Vote Handling and Secrecy) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/1225), regs. 1(2), 7(3)(b)(iii))

C3 Regs. 79A-79D applied (with modifications) (E.) (12.12.2023 with effect in accordance with S.I. 2023/1225, reg. 1(2)) by S.I. 2012/2031, Sch. 4 Table 6 (as amended by The Representation of the People (Postal Vote Handling and Secrecy) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/1225), regs. 1(2), 9(3)(b)(iii))