Representation of the People Act 1983

31 Polling districts and stations at local government elections. U.K.

(1) For elections of county councillors [F1 in England] . . ., the county council may divide an electoral division into polling districts, and may alter any polling district, and for elections of London borough or district councillors the London borough or district council may divide the London borough or district or any ward thereof into polling districts, and may alter any polling district.

[F2 (1A) For elections of county or county borough councillors in Wales, the county or county borough council may divide an electoral [F3 ward] into polling districts and may alter any polling district.]

[F4 (1B) For any Authority elections, a London borough council or the Common Council may divide their area into polling districts and may alter any polling district.

For the purposes of this subsection the Inner Temple and the Middle Temple shall be treated as forming part of the City.]

(2) In Scotland, for elections of [F5 local authority] councillors the [F6 local authority] may divide an electoral [F7 ward] into polling districts and may alter any polling district, F8 . . .; but in the absence of special circumstances those polling districts shall be those which were last designated for the purpose of parliamentary elections under [F9 section 18A] above.

(3) Any power to constitute polling districts for the purpose of local government elections shall be exercised so that electors from any parliamentary polling district wholly or partly within the electoral area can, in the absence of special circumstances, be allotted to a polling station within the parliamentary polling place for that district unless the parliamentary polling place is outside the electoral area.

F10 (4), (5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F11 (6), (7) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 31(1) inserted (20.3.1995) by 1994 c. 19, s. 66(6), Sch. 16 para. 68(6) (with ss. 54(4)(7), 55(5), Sch. 17 paras. 22(1), 23(2)); S.I. 1995/546, art. 3, Sch. (with arts. 4-8)

F2 S. 31(1A) inserted (20.3.1995) by 1994 c. 19, s. 66(6), Sch. 16 para. 68(6) (with ss. 54(4)(7), 55(5), Sch. 17 paras. 22(1), 23(2)); S.I. 1995/546, art. 3, Sch. (with arts. 4-8)

F3 Word in s. 31(1A) substituted (E.W.) (20.3.2021) by Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021 (asc 1), s. 175(3)(f), Sch. 2 para. 2(3)

F4 S. 31(1B) inserted (14.12.1999) by 1999 c. 29, s. 17, Sch. 3 para. 2 (with Sch. 12 para. 9(1)); S.I. 1999/3376, art. 2

F5 Words in s. 31(2) substituted (1.4.1996) by 1994 c. 39, s. 180(1), Sch. 13 para. 130(4)(a); S.I. 1996/323, art. 4(1)(b)(c)

F6 Words in s. 31(2) substituted (1.4.1996) by 1994 c. 39, s. 180(1), Sch. 13 para. 130(4)(b); S.I. 1996/323, art. 4(1)(b)(c)

F7 Word in s. 31(2) substituted (1.4.1996) by 1994 c. 39, s. 180(1), Sch. 13 para. 130(4)(c); S.I. 1996/323, art. 4(1)(b)(c)

F8 Words in s. 31(2) repealed (1.4.1996) by 1994 c. 39, s. 180(1)(2), Sch. 13 para. 130(3)(d), Sch. 14; S.I. 1996/323, art. 4(1)(b)(c)(d), Sch. 2

F9 Words in s. 31(2) substituted (1.1.2007 for E.W.S. and 1.7.2008 for N.I.) by Electoral Administration Act 2006 (c. 22), ss. 74(1), 77, Sch. 1 para. 108; S.I. 2006/3412, art. 3, Sch. 1 para. 14(aa)(bb)(v) (subject to transitional provisions in art. 6, Sch. 2); S.I. 2008/1316, arts. 2, 4

F10 S. 31(4)(5) repealed by Local Government Act 1985 (c. 51, SIF 81:1), ss. 1, 102, Sch. 17

F11 S. 31(6)(7) inserted by Local Government Act 1985 (c. 51, SIF 81:1), s. 19(5)(6), Sch. 9 para. 1(2) and repealed by Education Reform Act 1988 (c. 40, SIF 41:1), ss. 231(7), 235(6), 237, Sch. 13 Pt. I

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 31: functions of local authority not to be responsibility of an executive of the authority (E.) (16.11.2000) by virtue of S.I. 2000/2853, reg. 2(1), Sch. 1 D9

C2 S. 31 applied (with modifications) (27.3.2007) by The Local Authorities (Mayoral Elections) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007 (S.I. 2007/1024), Sch. 2 Table 1

C3 S. 31 applied (with modifications) (E.) (28.7.2007) by The Local Authorities (Conduct of Referendums) (England) Regulations 2007 (S.I. 2007/2089), regs. 8, 11, 13, {Sch. 4 Table 1}

C4 S. 31 applied (with modifications) (W.) (24.7.2008) by The Local Authorities (Conduct of Referendums) (Wales) Regulations 2008 (S.I. 2008/1848), reg. 8, {Sch. 4 para. 1 Table 1}

C5 S. 31 applied (with modifications) (E.) (9.2.2012) by The Local Authorities (Conduct of Referendums)(England) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/323), reg. 1, Sch. 4 para. 1

C6 S. 31 applied (with modifications) (18.2.2012) by The Local Authorities (Conduct of Referendums) (Council Tax Increases) (England) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/444), reg. 1, Sch. 4 para. 1 (with reg. 27)

C7 S. 31 applied (with modifications) (3.8.2012) by The Neighbourhood Planning (Referendums) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/2031), regs. 1, 8, 12, 13, Sch. 4 Pt. 1

C8 S. 31(1)(3) applied (with modifications) (E.) (2.4.2001) by S.I. 2001/1298, reg. 8(1), Sch. 3 Table 2 (subject to regs. 9-12, 15-17, 20, 25)

S. 31(3) applied (with modifications) (W.) (24.3.2004) by The Local Authorities (Conduct of Referendums) (Wales) Regulations 2004 (S.I. 2004/870), reg. 8, {Sch. 3 Table 2} (which S.I. was revoked (24.7.2008) by S.I. 2008/1848)

C9 S. 31(1) applied (with modifications) (W.) (24.3.2004) by The Local Authorities (Conduct of Referendums) (Wales) Regulations 2004 (S.I. 2004/870), reg. 8, {Sch. 3 Table 2} (which S.I. was revoked by S.I. 2008/1848)