Representation of the People Act 2000

1. Introductory Text

2. Part I Electoral registration and franchise

   1. New system of registration

      1. 1. New system of electoral registration.

   2. Disfranchisement

      1. 2. Disfranchisement of offenders detained in mental hospitals.

   3. Residence for purposes of registration

      1. 3. Residence for purposes of registration: general.

      2. 4. Residence: patients in mental hospitals who are not detained offenders or on remand.

      3. 5. Residence: persons remanded in custody etc.

      4. 6. Notional residence: declarations of local connection.

   4. Service voters

      1. 7. Service declarations.

   5. Further amendments

      1. 8. Further amendments about registration.

   6. Supply of information contained in register

      1. 9. Restriction on supply of information contained in register.

3. Part II Conduct of elections

   1. New electoral procedures

      1. 10. Pilot schemes for local elections in England and Wales.

      2. 11. Revision of procedures in the light of pilot schemes.

   2. Manner of voting

      1. 12. Changes relating to absent voting at elections in Great Britain.

   3. Persons with disabilities

      1. 13. Assistance with voting for persons with disabilities.

4. Part III Miscellaneous and General

   1. Miscellaneous

      1. 14. Free delivery of election addresses at Greater London Authority elections.

   2. General

      1. 15. Minor and consequential amendments and repeals.

      2. 16. Financial provisions.

      3. 17. Citation, construction, commencement and extent.

5. SCHEDULES

   1. SCHEDULE 1

      Registration: amendments of 1983 Act

      1. Introductory

         1. 1. The 1983 Act is amended as follows.

      2. Residence

         1. 2. In section 6 (residence: merchant seamen), for “sections 1 and...

      3. Registers of electors

         1. 3. For section 9 substitute— Registers of electors. (1) Each registration officer shall maintain— (a) a register of...

      4. Maintenance of registers

         1. 4. For section 10 substitute— Maintenance of registers: annual canvass. (1) Each registration officer shall conduct an annual canvass in...

         2. 5. Omit— (a) section 11 (correction of registers), and

      5. Publication of registers

         1. 6. For section 13 substitute— Publication of registers. (1) Following the conclusion of the canvass conducted by a...

      6. Service declarations

         1. 7. In section 14 (service qualification), in subsection (2), for “section...

         2. 8. (1) Section 15 (service declaration) is amended as follows.

         3. 9. In section 16, omit the following— (a) in paragraph (b),...

         4. 10. In section 17 (effect of service declaration), for subsection (1)...

      7. Polling districts

         1. 11. In section 18 (polling districts and places for parliamentary elections),...

      8. Effect of registers

         1. 12. (1) Section 49 (effect of registers) is amended as follows....

      9. Regulations about registration

         1. 13. In section 53(1) (regulations about registration)— (a) in paragraph (a),...

      10. Registration appeals: England and Wales

          1. 14. (1) Section 56 (registration appeals: England and Wales) is amended...

      11. Registration appeals: Northern Ireland

          1. 15. For section 58 substitute— Registration appeals: Northern Ireland. (1) Section 56 above, except subsection (2) and the words...

      12. Service voters

          1. 16. In section 59(2) (supplemental provisions as to members of forces...

      13. Offences

          1. 17. In section 62 (offences as to declarations), for subsection (1)...

      14. Election expenses

          1. 18. (1) Section 76 (limitation of election expenses) is amended as...

      15. Election addresses

          1. 19. In section 91 (candidate’s right to send election address post-free),...

      16. Evidence of registration

          1. 20. After section 180 insert— Evidence by certificate of electoral registration....

      17. Regulations under the Act

          1. 21. In section 201 (regulations), after subsection (2) add—

      18. Interpretation

          1. 22. In section 202(1) (general interpretation)— (a) for the definition of...

      19. Parliamentary elections rules

          1. 23. (1) Schedule 1 (parliamentary elections rules) is amended as follows....

      20. Content of regulations as to registration

          1. 24. (1) Schedule 2 (provisions which may be contained in regulations...

   2. SCHEDULE 2

      Registration: overseas electors

      1. Introductory

         1. 1. The Representation of the People Act 1985 is amended as...

      2. Franchise for parliamentary elections

         1. 2. For section 1 substitute— Extension of parliamentary franchise. (1) A person is entitled to vote as an elector...

      3. Registration of overseas electors

         1. 3. For section 2 substitute— Registration of British citizens overseas. (1) A person is entitled to be registered in a...

      4. Franchise for European Parliamentary elections

         1. 4. For section 3 substitute— Extension of franchise for European Parliamentary...

   3. SCHEDULE 3

      Registration: local elections in Northern Ireland

      1. Introductory

         1. 1. The Elected Authorities (Northern Ireland) Act 1989 is amended as...

      2. Registration of electors

         1. 2. In section 1 (local electors in Northern Ireland), for subsections...

      3. Application of provisions of 1983 Act

         1. 3. (1) Part I of Schedule 1 (application of provisions of...

      4. Modification of provisions of 1983 Act

         1. 4. (1) Part II of Schedule 1 (modification of provisions of...

   4. SCHEDULE 4

      Absent voting in Great Britain

      1. Interpretation

         1. 1. (1) In this Schedule— “the absent voters list” means the...

      2. Manner of voting at parliamentary or local government elections

         1. 2. (1) This paragraph applies to determine the manner of voting...

      3. Absent vote at elections for definite or indefinite period

         1. 3. (1) Where a person applies to the registration officer to...

      4. Absent vote at particular election

         1. 4. (1) Where a person applies to the registration officer to...

      5. Absent voters list

         1. 5. (1) The registration officer shall, in respect of each parliamentary...

      6. Proxies at elections

         1. 6. (1) Subject to the provisions of this paragraph, any person...

      7. Voting as proxy

         1. 7. (1) A person entitled to vote as proxy at a...

      8. Provision of fresh signatures

         1. 7A. (1) A person who remains on the record kept under...

         2. 7B. Regulations may make provision as to— (a) circumstances in which...

      9. Use of personal identifier information

         1. 7C. The registration officer must either — (a) provide the returning...

         2. 7D. Information contained in records kept by a registration officer in...

      10. Offences

          1. 8. A person who— (a) in any declaration or form used...

   5. SCHEDULE 5

      Free delivery of election addresses at first GLA mayoral election: New Schedule 3A to the Greater London Authority Act 1999

   6. SCHEDULE 6

      Minor and consequential amendments

      1. City of London (Various Powers) Act 1957 (c. x)

         1. 1. (1) Section 8 of the City of London (Various Powers)...

      2. European Parliamentary Elections Act 1978 (c. 10)

         1. 2. (1) Paragraph 4 of Schedule 2 to the European Parliamentary...

      3. The 1983 Act

         1. 3. The 1983 Act is amended as follows.

         2. 4. In section 29(4C) (orders governing charges by returning officers), at...

         3. 5. After section 65 insert— False statements in nomination papers etc....

         4. 6. After section 66 insert— Prohibition on publication of exit polls....

         5. 7. In section 95(7) (schools for parliamentary election meetings not to...

         6. 8. In section 108(4) (premises not to be used as committee...

         7. 9. In section 202(1) (general interpretation)— (a) in the definition of...

         8. 10. (1) Schedule 1 (parliamentary elections rules) is amended as follows....

         9. 11. (1) Schedule 2 (provisions which may be contained in regulations...

      4. Representation of the People Act 1985 (c. 50)

         1. 12. The Representation of the People Act 1985 is amended as...

         2. 13. (1) Section 5 (manner of voting) is amended as follows....

         3. 14. (1) Section 6 (absent vote at elections for an indefinite...

         4. 15. (1) Section 7 (absent vote at a particular election and...

         5. 16. (1) Section 8 (proxies at elections) is amended as follows....

         6. 17. (1) Section 9 (voting as proxy) is amended as follows....

         7. 18. In section 27(2) (application of provisions of 1983 Act)—

      5. Finance Act 1996 (c. 8)

         1. 19. In section 200 of the Finance Act 1996 (domicile for...

   7. SCHEDULE 7

      Repeals

      1. Part I Repeals extending to whole of the United Kingdom

      2. Part II Repeals extending to England, Wales and Scotland

      3. Part III Repeals extending to Northern Ireland only