The Assistance with Voting for Persons with Disabilities (Principal Area, Parish and Greater London Authority Elections) (Amendments) Rules 2022

Amendment of the Greater London Authority Elections Rules 2007

5.—(1) The Greater London Authority Elections Rules 2007(1) are amended as follows.

(2) In each of Schedule 1 (constituency members election rules), Schedule 3 (mayoral election rules), Schedule 5 (constituency members election rules where authority election combined with another form of election or referendum) and Schedule 7 (mayoral election rules where authority election combined with another form of election or referendum), in Part 4—

(a) in rule 28 (equipment of polling stations)—

(i) for paragraph (5) substitute—

“(5) The CRO must also provide each polling station with such equipment as it is reasonable to provide for the purposes of enabling, or making it easier for, relevant persons to vote independently in the manner directed by rule 38 (voting procedure), including in relation to voting secretly; and for this purpose “relevant persons” means persons who find it difficult or impossible to vote in that manner because of—

(a) blindness or partial sight, or

(b) another disability.

(5A) Paragraph (10) of rule 29 of Schedule 1 to the 1983 Act (Parliamentary elections rules: guidance to returning officers) applies for the purposes of paragraph (5) of this rule as it applies for the purposes of that rule, but as if—

(a) the reference in that paragraph to the returning officer were a reference to the CRO, and

(b) the reference in that paragraph to paragraph (3A)(b) were a reference to paragraph (5) of this rule.”;

(ii) omit paragraph (6);

(b) in rule 40(3) (voting by persons with disabilities), for the words from “if that person” to the end substitute “if that person is aged 18 or over.”.

(3) In both Schedule 2 (London members election rules) and Schedule 6 (London members election rules where authority election combined with another form of election or referendum), in Part 4—

(a) in rule 29 (equipment of polling stations)—

(i) for paragraph (5) substitute—

“(5) The CRO must also provide each polling station with such equipment as it is reasonable to provide for the purposes of enabling, or making it easier for, relevant persons to vote independently in the manner directed by rule 39 (voting procedure), including in relation to voting secretly; and for this purpose “relevant persons” means persons who find it difficult or impossible to vote in that manner because of—

(a) blindness or partial sight, or

(b) another disability.

(5A) Paragraph (10) of rule 29 of Schedule 1 to 1983 Act (Parliamentary elections rules: guidance to returning officers) applies for the purposes of paragraph (5) of this rule as it applies for the purposes of that rule, but as if—

(a) the reference in that paragraph to the returning officer were a reference to the CRO, and

(b) the reference in that paragraph to paragraph (3A)(b) were a reference to paragraph (5) of this rule.”;

(ii) omit paragraph (6);

(b) in rule 41(3) (voting by persons with disabilities), for the words from “if that person” to the end substitute “if that person is aged 18 or over.”.

(4) In Schedule 10 (schedule of forms)—

(a) for form 19 (declaration to be made by the companion of a voter with disabilities), substitute the corresponding form in Part 1 of Schedule 4 to these Regulations.

(b) for form 19A (declaration to be made by the companion of a voter with disabilities: combined election), substitute the corresponding form in Part 2 of Schedule 4 to these Regulations.

(1)

S.I. 2007/3541; relevant amending instruments are S.I. 2016/24, 2018/1310.