Schedule 6Local elections in Northern Ireland and elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly
Part 1Local elections in Northern Ireland
24
“Undue influence
3
(1)
A person is guilty of undue influence if the person carries out an activity falling within sub-paragraph (3) for the purpose of—
(a)
inducing or compelling an elector or proxy for an elector to vote in a particular way or to refrain from voting, or
(b)
otherwise impeding or preventing the free exercise of the franchise of an elector or of a proxy for an elector.
(2)
A person (“P”) is also guilty of undue influence if P carries out an activity falling within any of paragraphs (a) to (f) of sub-paragraph (3) on account of—
(a)
an elector or proxy for an elector having voted in a particular way or refrained from voting, or
(b)
P assuming an elector or proxy for an elector to have voted in a particular way or to have refrained from voting.
(3)
The following activities fall within this sub-paragraph—
(a)
using or threatening to use violence against a person;
(b)
damaging or destroying, or threatening to damage or destroy, a person’s property;
(c)
damaging or threatening to damage a person’s reputation;
(d)
causing or threatening to cause financial loss to a person;
(e)
causing spiritual injury to, or placing undue spiritual pressure on, a person;
(f)
doing any other act designed to intimidate a person;
(g)
doing any act designed to deceive a person in relation to the administration of an election.
(4)
For the purposes of sub-paragraphs (1) and (2) an activity is carried out by a person (“P”) if it is carried out—
(a)
by P,
(b)
by P jointly with one or more other persons, or
(c)
by one or more other persons on behalf of P and with P’s authority or consent.”