The European Parliamentary Elections (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2004

[F1 CHAPTER 1 N.I. General Provisions

Textual Amendments

F1 Sch. 1 substituted (27.3.2009) by The European Parliamentary Elections (Northern Ireland) (Amendment) Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/813), regs. 1(2), 38, Sch. 1

Poll to be taken by ballot N.I.

18.   The votes at the poll must be given by ballot, and the votes given to each candidate must be counted and the result of the poll determined in accordance with rules 52 to 63.

The ballot papers N.I.

19.— (1) The ballot of every voter must consist of a ballot paper, and the persons shown in the statement of candidates nominated as standing nominated, and no others, are entitled to have their names inserted in the ballot paper.

(2) Every ballot paper must be in the Form A in the Appendix of Forms, and must be printed in accordance with the directions in that Appendix, and—

(a) must contain the names of the persons shown in the statement of candidates nominated,

(b) must be capable of being folded up, and

(c) must have a number and other unique identifying mark printed on the back.

(3) If, on behalf of a candidate who is the subject of a party’s authorisation under rule 5(1), the registered nominating officer of that party so requests, the ballot paper must contain, against the candidate’s particulars, the party’s registered emblem (or, as the case may be, one of the party’s registered emblems).

(4) The request must be—

(a) made in writing to the returning officer, and

(b) received by him before the last time for the delivery of nomination papers set out in the timetable.

(5) If, on behalf of a candidate who is the subject of two or more parties' authorisations under rule 5(3), the registered nominating officers of those parties so request, the ballot paper must contain, against the candidate’s particulars the registered emblem of one of those parties (or, as the case may be, one of its registered emblems).

(6) The request must be—

(a) made in writing by the nominating officers of the parties jointly to the returning officer, and

(b) received by him before the last time for the delivery of nomination papers set out in the timetable.

(7) The order of the names in the ballot paper must be the same as in the statement of candidates nominated.

Corresponding number list N.I.

20.— (1) The returning officer must prepare a list containing the numbers and other unique identifying marks of all the ballot papers to be issued by him in pursuance of rule 25(1) or provided by him in pursuance of rule 30(1).

(2) The form of corresponding number list to be prepared by the returning officer for the purpose of this rule must be in Form B in the Appendix of Forms.

(3) The form of corresponding number list to be prepared by the returning officer for the purposes of rules 30(3)(d) and 39(1)(b) must be in Form C in the Appendix of Forms.

(4) The form of corresponding number list to be prepared by the returning officer for the purpose of this rule when the poll at a European Parliamentary election is to be taken with the poll at an election under subsection (1) or (2) of section 15 of the 1985 Act (combination of polls at parliamentary, European Parliamentary and local elections) must be in Form D in the Appendix of Forms.

(5) The form of corresponding number list to be prepared by the returning officer for the purposes of rules 30(3)(d) and 39(1)(b) when the poll at a European Parliamentary election is to be taken with the poll at an election under subsection (1) or (2) of section 15 of the 1985 Act (combination of polls at parliamentary, European Parliamentary and local elections) must be in Form E in the Appendix of Forms.

The official mark N.I.

21.— (1) Every ballot paper must contain an appropriate security marking (the official mark).

(2) The official mark must be kept secret, and an interval of not less than five years must intervene between the use of the same official mark at elections for the same European Parliamentary electoral region.

(3) The returning officer may use a different official mark for different purposes at the same election.

Prohibition of disclosure of vote N.I.

22.   No person who has voted at the election must, in any legal proceeding to question the election or return, be required to state for whom he has voted.

Use of schools and public rooms N.I.

23.— (1) The returning officer may use, free of charge, for the purpose of taking the poll—

(a) a room in a school to which this rule applies;

(b) a room the expense of maintaining which is payable out of any rate.

(2) This rule applies to a school in receipt of a grant out of moneys appropriated by an Act of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

(3) The returning officer must make good any damage done to, and defray any expense incurred by the persons having control over, any room which has been used in accordance with this rule by reason of its being used for the purpose of taking the poll.

(4) This rule does not apply to any school adjoining or adjacent to any church or other place of worship nor to any school connected with a nunnery or other religious establishment.]