SCHEDULES

SCHEDULE 12 Meetings and Proceedings of Local Authorities

Part V Community Meetings

38

If any person, in a F1poll consequent on a community meeting F1community governance poll—

(a)

fraudulently defaces or fraudulently destroys any ballot paper or the official mark; or

(b)

without due authority supplies a ballot paper to any person; or

(c)

fraudulently puts into a ballot box any paper other than the ballot paper which he is authorised by law to put in; or

(d)

fraudulently takes out of the polling station any ballot paper; or

(e)

without due authority destroys, takes, opens or otherwise interferes with any ballot box or packet of ballot papers then in use for the purposes of the poll;

he shall—

(i)

if he is a returning officer, or an authorised person appointed to assist in taking the poll or counting the votes, be liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years; and

(ii)

in any other case, be liable, on conviction on indictment or summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to a fine not exceeding £50, or both.