(2) Every person so attending at the counting of the votes shall maintain and aid in maintaining the secrecy of voting and shall not—
(a) ascertain or attempt to ascertain at the counting of the votes the number or other unique identifying mark on the back of any ballot paper;
(b) communicate any information obtained at the counting of the votes as to the answer for which any vote is given on any particular ballot paper.
(3) No person shall—
(a) interfere with or attempt to interfere with a named voter when recording a vote;
(b) otherwise obtain or attempt to obtain in a polling station information as to the answer for which a named voter in that station is about to vote or has voted;
(c) communicate at any time to any person any information obtained in a polling station as to the answer for which a named voter in that station is about to vote or has voted, or as to the number or other unique identifying mark on the back of the ballot paper given to a named voter at that station;
(d) directly or indirectly induce a named voter to display their ballot paper after they have marked it so as to make known to any person the answer for which they have or have not voted.
([3A)
No person may—
(a)except for some purpose authorised by law, obtain or attempt to obtain information, or communicate at any time to any other person any information, as to the number or other unique identifying mark on the back of a ballot paper sent to a named voter for voting by post at a business referendum;
(b)except for some purpose authorised by law, obtain or attempt to obtain information, or communicate at any time to any other person any information, as to the official mark on a ballot paper sent to a named voter for voting by post at a business referendum;
(c)obtain or attempt to obtain information, in the circumstances mentioned in subsection (3B), as to the answer for which a named voter voting by post at a business referendum (“V”) is about to vote or has voted;
(d)communicate at any time to any other person information obtained in contravention of paragraph (c).
(3B) The circumstances referred to in subsection (3A)(c) are where V is about to mark, is in the process of marking, or has just marked, a ballot paper sent to V for voting by post at the business referendum.
(3C) But—
(a)a business vote holder who has named another individual as voting on their behalf does not contravene subsection (3A) by obtaining or attempting to obtain from the named voter information as to a matter mentioned in paragraphs (a) or (c) of that subsection that relates to the business vote holder’s vote, and
(b)a named voter who has been named as voting on behalf of a business vote holder does not contravene subsection (3A) by communicating to that business vote holder information as to a matter mentioned in paragraphs (a) or (c) of that subsection that relates to that business vote holder’s vote.
(3D) Subsections (3A)(c) and (d) do not apply where the purpose (or main purpose) for which the information is sought or communicated is its use for the purposes of—
(a)a published statement relating to the way in which voters intend to vote or have voted at the business referendum, or
(b)a published forecast as to the result of that referendum which is based on information given by voters.
(3E) In subsection (3D)—
(a)“forecast” includes estimate;
(b)“published” means made available to the public at large or to any section of the public, in whatever form and by whatever means;
(c)the reference to the result of the business referendum is a reference to the result of the referendum as a whole or so far as any particular answer of the referendum is concerned.
(3F) A named voter who has been named as voting on behalf of a business vote holder at a business referendum—
(a)must not communicate at any time to any person other than that business vote holder any information as to the answer for which the named voter is about to vote, or has voted, on behalf of the business vote holder;
(b)except for some purpose authorised by law, must not communicate at any time to any person other than that business vote holder the number or other unique identifying mark on the back of a ballot paper sent or delivered to the named voter for voting on behalf of the business vote holder.]
(4) Every person attending the proceedings in connection with the issue or the receipt of ballot papers for named voters voting by post must maintain and aid in maintaining the secrecy of the vote and shall not—
(a) except for some purpose authorised by law, communicate, before the poll is closed, to any person any information obtained at those proceedings as to the official mark; or
(b) except for some purpose authorised by law, communicate to any person at any time any information obtained at those proceedings as to the number or other unique identifying mark on the back of the ballot paper sent to any person;
(c) except for some purpose authorised by law, attempt to ascertain at he proceedings in connection with the receipt of ballot papers the number or other unique identifying mark on the back of any ballot paper; or
(d) attempt to ascertain at the proceedings in connection with the receipt of the ballot papers the answer for which any vote is given in any particular ballot paper or communicate any information with respect thereto obtained at those proceedings.
[(4A) No person having undertaken to assist a relevant named voter to vote at a business referendum may communicate at any time to any person except that voter any information as to—
(a)the answer for which the relevant named voter intends to vote or has voted, or
(b)the number or other unique identifying mark on the back of the ballot paper given for the use of the relevant named voter.
(4B) In subsection (4A) “relevant named voter” means a named voter who is blind, has another disability, or is unable to read.]
[In subsection (6A), in the definition of “relevant election” (in which all references to “election” are modified to be construed as references to “business referendum” by regulation 17(6)(a))—
(a)omit paragraph (a), and
(b)in paragraph (b) omit “under the local government Act”.]
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