Elections Act 2022

Electoral Law Act (Northern Ireland) 1962

This section has no associated Explanatory Notes

24For paragraph 3 substitute—

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.