The European Parliamentary Elections (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2004

Questions to be put to voters

35.—(1) The presiding officer may, and if required by a candidate or the election or polling agent of a candidate shall, put to any person applying for a ballot paper at the time of his application, but not afterwards, the following questions, or either of them—

(a) in the case of a person applying as an elector—

(i) “Are you the person registered in the register of electors for this election as follows?” (read the whole entry from the register.),

(ii) “Have you already voted, here or elsewhere, at this by-election (general election of MEPs), otherwise than as proxy for some other person?”;

(b) in the case of a person applying as proxy—

(i) “Are you the person whose name appears as AB in the list of proxies for this election as entitled to vote as proxy on behalf of CD?”,

(ii) “Have you already voted here or elsewhere at this by-election (general election of MEPs) as proxy on behalf of CD?”.

(2) In the case of a person applying as an elector, the presiding officer may put the following additional question—

• “What is your date of birth?”.

(3) In the case of a person applying as proxy, the presiding officer may, and if required as mentioned in paragraph (1) shall, put the following additional question—

• “Are you the husband (wife), parent, grandparent, brother (sister), child or grandchild of CD?”

and if that question is not answered in the affirmative the following question—

• “Have you at this election already voted in this electoral region on behalf of two persons of whom you are not the husband (wife), parent, grandparent, brother (sister), child or grandchild?”.

(4) A ballot paper shall not be delivered to any person required to answer the above questions or any of them unless he has answered the questions or question satisfactorily.

(5) No inquiry shall be permitted as to the right of any person to vote, except as authorised by this rule.