Local Government Act 2003

55 Regulations about ballots

(1) The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision in relation to ballots.

(2) The provision which may be made by regulations under this section includes provision—

(a) as to the timing of ballots;

(b) as to the non-domestic ratepayers entitled to vote in a ballot;

(c) as to the question to be asked in a ballot;

(d) as to the form that ballots may take;

(e) as to the persons who are to hold ballots;

(f) as to the conduct of ballots;

(g) conferring power on the Secretary of State to declare ballots void in cases of material irregularity;

(h) for or in connection with enabling a billing authority to recover the costs of a ballot from such persons and in such circumstances as may be prescribed.

(3) Nothing in subsection (2) is to be taken as limiting the power conferred by subsection (1).

(4) No regulations under subsection (1) which include provision of the kind mentioned in subsection (2)(b) shall be made by the Secretary of State unless a draft of the statutory instrument containing the regulations (whether containing them alone or with other provisions) has been laid before, and approved by a resolution of, each House of Parliament.

(5) In this section “ballot” means a ballot held for the purposes of section 49(1) or 54(2).