Questions to be put to voters
44.—(1) At the time that a person described in an entry in column 1 of the Table to this rule (“the Table”) applies for a ballot paper (but not afterwards) the presiding officer may put to that person the appropriate question (or if more than one any of them) set out opposite that entry.
(2) A question may be asked in English (as set out in column (2) of the Table) or Welsh (as set out in column (3) of the Table).
(3) In respect of a person described in entries 2, 4 or 6 of the Table, the questions set out opposite those entries may be asked only where the polls at a constituency election and a regional election are taken together.
(4) Where the letter “R” appears after a question the presiding officer shall put that question to the person described opposite if the candidate or his election or polling agent (including such an agent of a registered political party standing nominated) so requires.
(5) In the case of an elector in respect of whom a notice has been issued under section 13B (3B) or 13B(3D) of the 1983 Act, the references in the questions at 1(a), 5(a), (b) (c) and 6 to reading from the register must be taken as references to reading from the notice issued under section 13B (3B) or 13B (3D)(1).
(6) A ballot paper shall not be delivered to any person required to answer any of the questions unless that person has answered each question satisfactorily.
(7) Except as authorised by this rule, no inquiry shall be permitted as to the right of any person to vote.
Table
| Column (1) | Column(2) | Column (3) |
|---|---|---|
| Person applying for a ballot paper | Question to be asked in English | Question to be asked in Welsh |
| 1. A person applying as an elector | (a) “Are you the person registered in the register of local government electors as follows(read out the whole entry from the register)?”[R] (b) “Have you already voted, here or elsewhere, at this election, otherwise than as proxy for some other person?”[R] | (a) “Ai chi yw'r person sydd wedi ei gofrestru ar y gofrestr o etholwyr llywodraeth leol fel a ganlyn (darllen allan y cofnod cyfan o'r gofrestr)?”[R] (b) “A ydych eisoes wedi pleidleisio, yma neu yn rhywle arall, yn yr etholiad hwn, ar wahân i fel dirprwy dros berson arall?”[R] |
| 2. A person applying as an elector where that person is entitled to give two votes at the polling station and the presiding officer has asked that person one or more of the questions at entry 1(a) and 1(b) | “Have you already cast a constituency vote and an electoral region vote at this election, here or elsewhere, otherwise than as a proxy for some person?”[R] | “A ydych eisoes wedi bwrw pleidlais etholaedol a phleidlais rhanbarth etholiadol yn yr etholiad hwn, yma neu yn rhywle arall, ar wahân i fel dirprwy dros berson arall?”[R] |
| 3. A person applying as proxy | (a) “Are you the person whose name appears as A.B. in the list of proxies for this election as entitled to vote as proxy on behalf of C.D.?”[R] (b) “Have you already voted, here or elsewhere, at this election, as proxy on behalf of C.D.?”[R] (c) “Are you the spouse, civil partner, parent, grandparent, brother/ sister, child or grandchild of C.D.?”[R] | (a) “Ai chi yw'r person y mae eich enw yn ymddangos fel A.B. ar y rhestr o ddirprwyon ar gyfer yr etholiad hwn fel rhywun sydd â hawl i fwrw pleidlais ddirprwy ar ran C.D.?”[R] (b) “A ydych eisoes wedi pleidleisio, yma neu yn rhywle arall, yn yr etholiad hwn, fel dirprwy ar ran C.D?”[R] (c) “Ai chi yw priod, partner sifil, rhiant, nain neu daid, brawd / chwaer, plentyn neu ŵyr / wyres C.D.?”[R] |
| 4. A person applying as proxy on behalf of an elector who is entitled to give two votes at the polling station if the presiding officer has asked that person one or more of the questions at entry 3(a) and 3(b). | “Have you already cast a constituency vote and an electoral region vote, at this election here or elsewhere, on behalf of C.D.?”[R] | “A ydych eisoes wedi bwrw pleidlais etholiadol a phleidlais rhanbarth etholiadol, yn yr etholiad hwn neu yn rhywle arall, ar ran C.D.?”[R] |
| 5. A person applying as proxy for an elector with an anonymous entry, instead of the questions at entry 3. | (a) “Are you the person entitled to vote as proxy on behalf of the elector whose number on the register of electors is (read out the number from the register)?”[R] (b) “Have you already voted, here or elsewhere, at this election, as proxy on behalf of the elector whose number on the register of electors is (read out the number from the register)?”[R] (c) “Are you the spouse, civil partner, parent, grandparent, brother/ sister, child or grandchild of the elector whose number on the register of electors is (read out the number from the register)?”[R] | (a) “Ai chi yw'r person sydd â hawl i bleidleisio fel dirprwy ar ran yr etholwr sydd â'r rhif canlynol ar y gofrestr etholwyr ar ei gyfer (darllen allan y rhif o'r gofrestr)?”[R] (b) “A ydych eisoes wedi pleidleisio, yma neu yn rhywle arall, yn yr etholiad hwn, fel dirprwy ar ran yr etholwr sydd â'r rhif canlynol ar y gofrestr etholwyr ar ei gyfer (darllen allan y rhif o'r gofrestr)?”[R] (c) “ Ai chi yw priod, partner sifil, rhiant, nain neu daid, brawd / chwaer, plentyn neu ŵyr / wyres yr etholwr sydd â'r rhif canlynol ar y gofrestr etholwyr (darllen allan y rhif o'r gofrestr)?”[R] |
| 6. A person applying as proxy on behalf of an elector with an anonymous entry and that elector is entitled to give two votes at the polling station, if the presiding officer has asked the person applying to vote as proxy one or more of the questions at entry 5(a) and 5(b). | “Have you already cast a constituency vote and an electoral region vote, here or elsewhere, at this election, on behalf of the elector whose number on the register of electors is (read out the number from the register)?”[R] | “A ydych eisoes wedi bwrw pleidlais etholiadol a phleidlais rhanbarth etholiadol, yma neu yn rhywle arall, yn yr etholiad hwn, ar ran yr etholwr sydd â'r rhif canlynol ar y gofrestr etholwyr ar ei gyfer (darllen allan y rhif o'r gofrestr)?”[R] |
| 7. A person applying as proxy, if the question at entry 3(c) or 5(c) is not answered in the affirmative. | “Have you at this election already voted in this constituency on behalf of two persons of whom you are not the spouse, civil partner, parent, grandparent, brother/ sister, child or grandchild?”[R] | “A ydych yn yr etholiad hwn eisoes wedi pleidleisio yn yr etholaeth hon ar ran dau berson a chithau heb fod yn briod, partner sifil, rhiant, nain neu daid, brawd / chwaer, plentyn neu ŵyr / wyres iddynt?”[R] |
| 8. A person applying as an elector in relation to whom there is an entry in the postal voters list. | (a) “Did you apply to vote by post?” (b) “ Why have you not voted by post?” | (a) “A wnaethoch wneud cais i bleidleisio drwy'r post?” (b) “ Pam na wnaethoch bleidleisio drwy'r post?” |
| 9. A person applying as proxy who is named in the proxy postal voters list. | (a) “Did you apply to vote by post as proxy?” (b) “Why have you not voted by post as proxy?” | (a) “ A wnaethoch wneud cais i bleidleisio drwy'r post fel dirprwy?” (b) “Pam na wnaethoch bleidleisio drwy'r post fel dirprwy?” |
Section 13B was inserted into the Representation of the People Act 1983 by paragraph 6 of Schedule 1 to the Representation of the People Act 2000 (c. 2). Subsections (3B) and (3D) were inserted into section 13B by section 11(4) of the Electoral Administration Act 2006 (c. 22).