The General Optical Council (Membership) Order of Council 2001

Part IV— Elections

14.  If after the expiration of the time allowed under this Scheme for nominations of candidates—

(a) no more candidates have been nominated than there are vacancies to be filled, the Returning Officer shall forthwith declare the candidates so nominated to have been elected to fill those vacancies;

(b) more candidates have been nominated than there are vacancies to be filled, the Returning Officer shall cause a poll to be held.

15.—(1) When a poll is to be held the Returning Officer shall fix a polling day and shall publish—

(a) the date thereof, which shall not be less than twenty-one days later than the date of such publication and shall, wherever practicable, be a date preceding the day on which members of the Council for the time being elected to represent registered opticians are due to retire:

(b) the names and addresses of all candidates; and

(c) subject as provided in the next following sub-paragraph, the names and addresses of the registered opticians nominating each candidate.

(2) If the Returning Officer receives more than six nominations in relation to any one candidate, he shall invite the candidate to state which six nominations should be published in connection with the candidature.

(3) If the Returning Officer cannot obtain within four days such a statement from the candidate, he shall publish in connection with the candidature for six nominations earliest received, or where several nominations are on one form, those first mentioned therein.

(4) For the purpose of the foregoing sub-paragraph the provisions of sub-paragraph (6) of paragraph 11 of this Scheme shall apply where necessary for determining the order of time in which nominations shall be deemed to have been received by the Returning Officer.

(5) The Returning Officer shall send a copy of this Election Scheme to each person nominated as a candidate, and shall draw attention to paragraphs 10, 24, 25 and 26 of this Scheme, which relate respectively to the publicity available through the Returning Officer, to the restrictions on expenditure, to the return and statutory declaration which candidates are required to make, and to the publication of returns.

16.—(1) On a poll to elect a person or persons to represent registered ophthalmic opticians every registered ophthalmic optician whose registered address is in the United Kingdom shall be entitled to vote for as many candidates as there are vacancies to be filled.

(2) On a poll to elect a person or persons to represent registered dispensing opticians every registered dispensing optician whose registered address is in the United Kingdom shall be entitled to vote for as many candidates as there are vacancies to be filled.