7.—(1) Regulation 3 (general requirements for applications for an absent vote at a local government election in Scotland) is amended as follows.
(2) In paragraph (2) after sub-paragraph (e) insert–
“(f)in the case of a person who is unable to provide a signature, the reasons for that person’s request that the registration officer dispense with the requirement under section 21(3) of the 2006 Act to provide the applicant’s signature and the name and address of any person who has assisted the applicant to complete the application; and
(g)where the applicant has, or has applied for, an anonymous entry, that fact.”.
(3) For paragraph (3), substitute–
“(3) The application shall be made in writing and shall be dated.
(3A) Where an application is required to contain a signature and date of birth, the information must be set out in a manner that is sufficiently clear and unambiguous as to be capable of electronic scanning by configuring the information as follows–
(a)the signature shall appear against a background of white unlined paper at least 5 centimetres long and 2 centimetres high; and
(b)the applicant’s date of birth shall be set out numerically configured in the sequence of date, month and year, namely [d][d][m][m][y][y][y][y].
(3B) Where the application contains a request that the registration officer dispense with the requirement for a signature, paragraph (3A)(a) shall not apply.”.
(4) In paragraph (4)–
(a)after “state”, insert “that it is so made.”; and
(b)omit sub-paragraphs (a) and (b).