The Regional Assembly and Local Government Referendums Order 2004

1. Introductory Text

2. 1. Citation, commencement and application

3. 2. Interpretation

4. 3. Rules for Regional Assembly and Local Government Referendums

5. 4. Combination of polls

6. 5. All-postal voting

7. 6. Application and modification of enactments relating to elections

8. 7. Application of and modifications to the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000

9. 8. Supply of full register to the Electoral Commission

10. 9. Chief counting officers and counting officers

11. 10. General duty of counting officers

12. 11. Referendum agents

13. 12. Advertisements

14. 13. Non-domestic rating: premises used for referendum purposes

15. Signature

16. 1. SCHEDULE 1

       THE REGIONAL ASSEMBLY AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT REFERENDUM RULES

       1. PART 1

          1. 1. Interpretation

          2. 2. Timetable

          3. 3. Computation of time

          4. 4. Notice of referendum

          5. 5. Combination of polls and proceedings taken together

          6. 6. The ballot paper

          7. 7. The official mark

          8. 8. Prohibition of disclosure of vote

          9. 9. Notice of poll

          10. 10. Ballot packs issued

          11. 11. Persons entitled to be present at proceedings on issue of ballot packs

          12. 12. Notification of requirement of secrecy

          13. 13. Time when ballot packs are to be issued

          14. 14. Procedure on issue of ballot packs

          15. 15. Addresses for issue of ballot packs

          16. 16. Refusal to issue ballot paper

          17. 17. Envelopes

          18. 18. Securing the list of ballot numbers issued

          19. 19. Delivery of ballot packs

       2. PART 2 Return of Ballot Papers

          1. 20. Use of schools and public rooms

          2. 21. Provision of assistance and delivery points

          3. 22. Appointment of presiding officers and clerks

          4. 23. Appointment of counting agents

          5. 24. Equipment of assistance and delivery points

          6. 25. Admission to an assistance and delivery point

          7. 26. Keeping of order in assistance and delivery point

          8. 27. Votes marked by presiding officer

          9. 28. Voting by persons with disabilities

          10. 29. Voters requesting assistance to vote

          11. 30. Contingency delivery points

          12. 31. Spoilt ballot papers

          13. 32. Lost or undelivered ballot papers

          14. 33. Cancelled ballot papers

          15. 34. Procedure on close of an assistance and delivery point during polling

          16. 35. Procedure on close of an assistance and delivery point on close of poll

       3. PART 3 Receipt by the Counting Officer of Ballot Papers

          1. 36. Persons entitled to be present at proceedings on receipt of ballot papers

          2. 37. Agents who may attend proceedings on receipt of ballot papers

          3. 38. Notice of opening of preliminary ballot boxes and ballot paper envelopes

          4. 39. Ballot boxes and receptacles

          5. 40. Receipt of covering envelope

          6. 41. Opening of preliminary ballot box

          7. 42. Opening of covering envelopes

          8. 43. Valid security statements with matching ballot papers

          9. 44. Rejection of invalid security statement for defacement of ballot number

          10. 45. Rejection of invalid security statement with cancelled number

          11. 46. Return to the voter and rejection of invalid unsigned security statements

          12. 47. Provisional rejection of other mismatched or separated security statements and ballot papers

          13. 48. Rejection of cancelled ballot papers

          14. 49. Opening of ballot paper envelopes

          15. 50. Removing cancelled ballot papers from the final ballot box

          16. 51. Lists of rejected ballot papers

          17. 52. Checking of rejected ballot paper lists

          18. 53. Sealing of lists and contents of receptacles

          19. 54. Notification of requirement of secrecy

       4. PART 4 The Count

          1. 55. Attendance at counting of votes

          2. 56. The count

          3. 57. Counting officer’s re-count

          4. 58. Rejected ballot papers

          5. 59. Chief counting officer’s recount

       5. PART 5 Final Proceedings

          1. 60. Counting officer’s certification

          2. 61. Notice of result of referendum

       6. PART 6 Disposal of Documents

          1. 62. Sealing up of ballot papers

          2. 63. Delivery of documents

          3. 64. Orders for production of documents

          4. 65. Retention and public inspection of documents

       7. Appendix of Forms and Directions

          1. Form 1— Form of ballot paper for a Regional Assembly referendum

          2. Form 2— Form of ballot paper for local government referendum

          3. Form 3— Form of combined ballot paper

          4. Form 4— Form of Security Statement

          5. Form 5— Form of instructions to the voter

          6. Form 6— Form of directions for guidance of voters in assistance and delivery points

          7. Form 7— Form of declaration to be made by the companion of a voter with disabilities

          8. Form 8— Statement as to ballot papers

    2. SCHEDULE 2

       MODIFICATIONS OF ACTS AND STATUTORY INSTRUMENTS

       1. PART 1 TABLE

          1. Representation of the People Act 2000

       2. PART 2 TABLE

          1. Representation of the People Act 1983

       3. PART 3 TABLE

          1. Representation of the People (England and Wales) Regulations 2001|

       4. PART 4 Form E1—Proxy paper for particular Regional Assembly referendum (poll not combined) or particular combined referendums

    3. SCHEDULE 3

       APPLICATION OF AND MODIFICATIONS TO THE POLITICAL PARTIES, ELECTIONS AND REFERENDUMS ACT 2000

       1. PART 1 POLITICAL PARTIES, ELECTIONS AND REFERENDUMS ACT 2000, OTHER THAN CHAPTER 2 OF PART 7

          1. TABLE

       2. PART 2 POLITICAL PARTIES, ELECTIONS AND REFERENDUMS ACT 2000 PART 7, CHAPTER 2 (REGIONAL ASSEMBLY AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT REFERENDUMS)

          1. TABLE

17. Explanatory Note