Equipment of polling stationsU.K.
28.—(1) The CRO must provide each presiding officer with—
(a)such ballot papers as may be necessary, and
(b)such ballot boxes as may be necessary having taken account of any direction made by the GLRO in accordance with paragraph (9).
(2) Every ballot box must be so constructed that the ballot papers can be put in it, but cannot be withdrawn from it, without the box being unlocked or, where the box has no lock, the seal being broken.
(3) The CRO must provide each polling station with—
(a)materials to enable voters to mark the ballot papers,
(b)copies of the register of electors for the Assembly constituency or such part of it as contains the entries relating to the electors allotted to the station,
(c)the parts of any special lists prepared for the election corresponding to the register of electors for the Assembly constituency or the part of it provided under sub-paragraph (b),
(d)a list consisting of that part of the list prepared under rule 18 which contains the numbers (but not the other unique identifying marks) corresponding to those on the ballot papers provided to the presiding officer of the polling station.
(4) The reference in paragraph (3)(b) to the copies of the register of electors includes a reference to copies of any notices issued under section 13B(3B) or (3D) of the 1983 Act M1 in respect of alterations to the register.
(5) The CRO must also provide each polling station with a device for enabling voters who are blind or partially sighted to vote without any need for assistance from the presiding officer or any companion within the meaning of rule 40.
(6) The device referred to in paragraph (5) above must—
(a)allow a ballot paper to be inserted into and removed from or attached to and detached from the device, easily and without damage to the paper,
(b)keep the ballot paper firmly in place during use,
(c)provide suitable means for the voter to—
(i)identify the spaces on the ballot paper on which he may mark his vote,
(ii)identify the candidate to whom each such space refers, and
(iii)mark his vote on the space he has chosen.
(7) The enlarged sample copies of the ballot paper that the CRO provides to, or causes to be displayed at, every polling station (in accordance with section 199B(5) and (7) of the 1983 Act) must be printed on paper of the same colour as the ballot paper at the election.
(8) The CRO must also provide each polling station with notices for the guidance of voters, which must be exhibited—
(a)outside the polling station,
(b)inside the polling station—
(i)in the communal areas, and
(ii)in every voting compartment.
(9) If the GLRO thinks fit he may, not later than the date of the notice of election, direct the CRO that joint ballot boxes must be used for the ballot papers at the election and any or all Authority elections with which the election is taken.
Marginal Citations
M1Section 13B of the 1983 Act was inserted by paragraph 3 of Schedule 2 to the Representation of the People Act 2000 (c.2) and amended by section 11(3) of the Electoral Administration Act 2006 (c.22). Subsections (3B) and (3D) of section 13B were inserted by section 11(4) of the Electoral Administration Act 2006 (c.22).