Representation of the People Act 1983

U.K.Issue of Writ and Notice of Election

Issue of writU.K.

3(1)Writs for parliamentary elections shall continue to be sealed and issued in accordance with the existing practice of the office of the Clerk of the Crown.U.K.

(2)Each writ shall be in the form in the Appendix and shall be directed to the returning officer by the title of his office as returning officer (and not by his name) and conveyed to him.

(3)Her Majesty may by Order in Council—

(a)specify the manner in which writs are to be conveyed whether by post, by an officer appointed by the Lord Chancellor or, as regards Northern Ireland, the Secretary of State, or otherwise, and make different provision for different classes of writs; and

(b)provide for the giving of receipts for writs by persons to whom they are delivered or who may receive them in the course of their conveyance.

(4)Delivery of the writ to a person for the time being authorised by law to act as deputy for the officer who by virtue of his office is returning officer shall be as good as delivery to the returning officer.

(5)An Order in Council under this rule—

(a)may require a returning officer to provide an address to which writs are to be conveyed and any change of that address; and

(b)may provide for recording those addresses; and

(c)may provide that the delivery of a writ to a person found in and for the time being in charge of a place so recorded as the office of a returning officer shall be as good as delivery to that returning officer.

(6)The person to whom the writ is delivered shall endorse the date of receipt on the writ in the form shown in the Appendix.

(7)A draft of an Order in Council under this rule shall be laid before Parliament, and any such Order may provide for any incidental or supplemental matter.

Conveyance of writ to acting returning officerU.K.

4(1)For an election in a constituency in England and Wales the writ shall (notwithstanding anything in rule 3 above) be conveyed to the acting returning officer if the returning officer—U.K.

(a)has so requested by notice in the form prescribed by an Order in Council under rule 3 and received by the Clerk of the Crown one month or more before the issue of the writ; and

(b)has not revoked it by a further notice in the form so prescribed and received within such time as is mentioned above.

(2)A notice under this rule has effect in relation to all constituencies—

(a)of which the person giving it is returning officer at the time of giving it; or

(b)of which he or a successor in office becomes returning officer by virtue of that office.

(3)Where by virtue of this rule writs are conveyed to the acting returning officer paragraph (5) of rule 3 applies in relation to him as it applies in relation to a returning officer.

Notice of electionU.K.

5(1)The returning officer shall publish notice of the election F1. . . , stating—U.K.

(a)the place and times at which nomination papers are to be delivered, and

(b)the date of the poll in the event of a contest,

and the notice shall state that forms of nomination paper may be obtained at that place and those times.

[F2(1A)The notice of election must also state the arrangements which apply for the payment of the deposit required by rule 9 below to be made by means of the electronic transfer of funds.]

(2)The notice of election shall state the date by which [F3(except in such circumstances as may be prescribed)]—

(a)applications to [F4vote by post or by proxy], and

(b)other applications and notices about postal or proxy voting,

must reach the registration officer in order that they may be effective for the election.

F5(3). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F2Sch. 1 rule 5(1A) inserted (1.1.2007 for E.W.S. and 1.7.2008 for N.I.) by Electoral Administration Act 2006 (c. 22), ss. 19(3), 77; S.I. 2006/3412, art. 3, Sch. 1 para. 14(f) (subject to transitional provisions in art. 6, Sch. 2); S.I. 2008/1316, arts 2, 4

F3Words in Sch. 1 rule 5(2) inserted (29.1.2001 for certain purposes and 16.2.2001 otherwise) by 2000 c. 2, s. 15(1), Sch. 6 para. 10(1)(2); S.I. 2001/116, art. 2(1)(2) (with art. 2(4))

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1Sch. 1 rule 5 applied (E.W.S.) by S.I. 1986/2209, regs. 2, 3, 5(1)(6)-(8), Sch. 1 Pt. 1

Sch. 1 rule 5 applied (with modifications) (1.8.2001) by S.I. 2001/2599, art. 3, Sch. 1 (as substituted (10.2.2009) by S.I. 2009/256, arts. 1(2), 3, Sch. 1)