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PART 3The election campaign

Agency by election officials and canvassing by police officers

Officials not to act for candidates

59.—(1) If any person who is—

(a)a police area returning officer or local returning officer at a PCC election, or

(b)a deputy of any such returning officer, or

(c)an officer of a local authority whose services have been placed at the disposal of such a returning officer, or

(d)an officer or clerk appointed under the PCC elections rules, or

(e)a deputy or clerk appointed under regulation 5 of the Police and Crime Commissioner Elections (Functions of Returning Officers) Regulations 2012(1), or

(f)a partner or clerk of a person mentioned in any of sub-paragraphs (a) to (e) in connection with that person’s official duties,

acts as a candidate’s agent in the conduct or management of the election, the person is guilty of an offence, but nothing in this paragraph prevents a candidate from acting as the candidate’s own election agent.

(2) A person guilty of an offence under this article is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale.

Illegal canvassing by police officers

60.—(1) No member of a police force for any police area may by word, message, writing or in any other manner, endeavour to persuade any person to give, or dissuade any person from giving, his or her vote, whether as an elector or as proxy at a PCC election.

(2) A person acting in contravention of paragraph (1) is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.

(3) Nothing in this article applies to subject a person who is member of a police force to any penalty for anything done in the discharge of that person’s duty as such.