The Assistance with Voting for Persons with Disabilities (Amendments) Regulations 2022

Amendment of the Combined Authorities (Mayoral Elections) Order 2017

13.—(1) The Combined Authorities (Mayoral Elections) Order 2017(1) is amended as follows.

(2) In Schedule 1 (combined authority mayoral elections rules)—

(a) in Part 4 (contested elections)—

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

(aa) for paragraph (5)(c) substitute—

“(c) 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 37 (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—

(i) blindness or partial sight, or

(ii) another disability.”;

(bb) after paragraph (5) insert—

“(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)(c) of this rule as it applies for the purposes of that rule, but as if the reference in that paragraph to paragraph (3A)(b) were a reference to paragraph (5)(c) of this rule.”;

(cc) omit paragraph (9);

(ii) in rule 39(3)(b) (voting by persons with disabilities), for the words from “either” to the end substitute “aged 18 or over”;

(b) in Part 9 (appendix of forms), for form 14 (declaration to be made by the companion of a voter with disabilities), substitute the corresponding form in Part 1 of Schedule 7 to these Regulations.

(3) In Schedule 3 (combined authority mayoral election (combination of polls) rules)—

(a) in Part 4 (contested elections)—

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

(aa) for paragraph (6)(c) substitute—

“(c) 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 37 (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—

(i) blindness or partial sight, or

(ii) another disability.”;

(bb) after paragraph (6) insert—

“(6A) 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 (6)(c) of this rule as it applies for the purposes of that rule, but as if the reference in that paragraph to paragraph (3A)(b) were a reference to paragraph (6)(c) of this rule.”;

(cc) omit paragraph (11);

(ii) in rule 39(3)(b) (voting by persons with disabilities), for the words from “either” to the end substitute “aged 18 or over”;

(b) in Part 9 (appendix of forms), for form 14 (declaration to be made by the companion of a voter with disabilities), substitute the corresponding form in Part 2 of Schedule 7 to these Regulations.

(1)

S.I. 2017/67, amended by S.I. 2018/1310; there are other amending instruments, but none is relevant.