Parliamentary elections

2Further provisions.

1

Schedule 1 to the 1983 Act shall be further amended as mentioned in subsections (2) to (4).

2

At the end of rule 26(3) (clerks may do what presiding officer may do, with the exceptions) there shall be inserted “or refuse to deliver a ballot paper under paragraph (1C) of rule 37 (including that paragraph as applied by rule 38, 39 or 40).”

3

The following minor amendments shall be made—

a

in rule 37(1) for “A” there shall be substituted “Subject to paragraphs (1A) to (1G) below, a”;

b

in rule 38(1) for “The” there shall be substituted “Subject to paragraph (1A) below, the”;

c

in rule 39(2) for “If” there shall be substituted “Subject to paragraph (2A) below, if”.

4

After rule 40 there shall be inserted—

Refusal to deliver ballot paper

40A

1

This rule applies where a presiding officer refuses to deliver a ballot paper under paragraph (1C) of rule 37 (including that paragraph as applied by rule 38, 39 or 40).

2

The refusal shall be subject to review on an election petition but, subject to that, shall be final and shall not be questioned in any proceeding whatsoever.

5

The following shall be inserted after section 61(6) of the 1983 Act (voting offences)—

6A

Where a person is alleged to have committed an offence under subsection (2)(a)(i) or (3)(a)(i) above by voting on a second or subsequent occasion at a parliamentary election, he shall not be deemed by virtue of subsection (6) above to have voted by applying on a previous occasion for a ballot paper for the purpose of voting in person unless he then marked a tendered ballot paper under rule 40(1C) of the parliamentary election rules.