The European Parliamentary Elections (Changes to the Franchise and Qualification of Representatives) Regulations 1994

Extension of the franchise at European Parliamentary elections

7.—(1) A person is entitled by virtue of this regulation to vote as elector at a European Parliamentary election in any European Parliamentary constituency if —

(a) he is resident there on the qualifying date (subject to paragraph (2) below in relation to Northern Ireland);

(b) on that date and on the day appointed for the election, he

(i) is not subject to any legal incapacity to vote (age apart); and

(ii) is a relevant citizen of the Union;

(c) he is of voting age, that is, 18 years or over, on the day appointed for the election, and

(d) he is registered in the European Parliamentary constituency in the register under regulation 9 below to be used at the election.

(2) A relevant citizen of the Union is not entitled to vote as an elector at a European Parliamentary election in Northern Ireland unless he was resident there during the whole of the period of three months ending on the qualifying date for that election.

(3) In this regulation—

“legal incapacity” has the same meaning in relation to European Parliamentary elections as it has in the Act of 1983 in relation to parliamentary elections; and

“qualifying date” means—

(a)

in England and Wales and Scotland, 10th October in any year as respects a European Parliamentary election at which the date appointed for it falls within the period of twelve months beginning with 16th February in the next following year;

(b)

in Northern Ireland, 15th September in any year as respects such a European Parliamentary election as mentioned above.

(4) Sections 5 (residence), 6 (residence: merchant seamen), 7(1) (residence: detained mental patients) and 59(2) (residence in the context of Her Majesty’s reserve or auxiliary forces) of, and the definition of “dwelling house” in section 202(1) of, the Act of 1983 shall apply for the purposes of determining questions as to a person’s residence under this regulation as they apply for the purposes of sections 1 and 2 of that Act and as if, for the references in sections 5, 6 and 7(1) to sections 1 and 2, there were substituted a reference to this regulation.