(This note is not part of these Rules)
These Rules replace the Parish and Community Meetings (Polls) Rules 1973, as amended, (“the 1973 Rules”) which are revoked by Rule 3 of these Rules. These Rules provide for the conduct of a poll consequent on a parish or community meeting (Rule 5 and the Schedule).
The rules in the Schedule to these Rules, like the rules in the Schedule to the 1973 Rules, apply with adaptations, alterations and exceptions the elections rules which apply for the election of parish or community councillors. The relevant rules for those elections are now the Local Elections (Parishes and Communities) Rules 1986 and the elections rules in Schedule 2 to those Rules are applied in the Schedule to these Rules. The provisions about computation of time (rule 2), notices in polling stations (rule 11 and the Appendix) and the notification of the requirement of secrecy (rule 13) differ from the 1973 Rules. In addition, the Appendix to the rules no longer prescribes forms the content of which is sufficiently described in the text of the rules.
Rule 6 modifies certain provisions of the Representation of the People Act 1983 in their application to the election of a chairman of a parish meeting and to a poll consequent on a parish or community meeting.