The Representation of the People (Postal and Proxy Voting etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2023

Amendment of Part 1 (general, interpretation and miscellaneous) U.K.

3.—(1) Part 1 (general, interpretation and miscellaneous) is amended as follows.

(2) In regulation 3 (interpretation)—

(a) in paragraph (1)—

(i) for the definition of “digital service” substitute—

““digital service” means the Individual Electoral Registration Digital Service, which is the digital service provided by the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities for (amongst other purposes) the purpose of—

(a)

processing online applications under sections 10ZC and 10ZD of the 1983 Act(1) and online relevant absent voting applications,

(b)

verifying information under regulations 29ZA and 56B, and

(c)

data matching under regulation 32ZBB in respect of the annual canvass for a register of parliamentary electors or local government electors in England or Wales;”;

(ii) after the definition of “registration officer” insert—

““relevant absent voting application” has the meaning given in paragraph 1A(7)(a)(i) of Schedule 2 to the 1983 Act(2);”;

(b) after paragraph (3A) insert—

“(3B) A document provided in accordance with regulation 51(9) or 56C may be transmitted by an applicant to a registration officer by electronic means.”.

(3) In regulation 5 (communication of applications, notices etc.)—

(a) in paragraph (1), after “notice” insert “, relevant attestation”;

(b) after paragraph (2), insert—

“(3) In paragraph (1), “relevant attestation” means an attestation under regulation 56C(6).”.

(4) In regulation 6 (electronic signatures and related certificates) after paragraph (3) insert—

“(4)  This regulation does not apply in relation to a relevant absent voting application, for which the general requirements are set out in regulation 51.”.

Commencement Information

I1 Reg. 3 in force at 31.10.2023, see reg. 1(2)

(1)

Sections 10ZC and 10ZD were inserted by paragraph 1 of Schedule 1 to the Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 (c. 6) and were amended by section 6(2) and (3) of the Scotland Act 2016 (c. 11) and by section 7 of the Wales Act 2017 (c. 4).

(2)

Paragraph 1A was inserted by paragraph 2 of Schedule 2 to the Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 (c. 6) and was amended by section 20(2)(b) of the Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 (c. 13), by paragraph 18(2) of Schedule 19 to the Data Protection Act 2018 (c. 12) and by paragraph 4 of Schedule 2 to the Elections Act 2022 (c. 37).