(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations modify (for a limited period) the Representation of the People (England and Wales) Regulations 2001, the Representation of the People (Scotland) Regulations 2001 and the European Parliamentary Elections Regulations 2004 in line with the transitional arrangements for the implementation of individual electoral registration under the Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013. They modify the provisions relating to the mandatory signature refresh for absent voters so that the absent voters who would otherwise be requested to provide a new example of their signature in January 2014 (and, in Scotland, in January 2015) will instead be requested to do so between 1st and 19th August 2013.
Regulation 2 makes provision for these changes in relation to absent voters for parliamentary and local government elections in England and Wales by amending the relevant absent voter fresh signatureprovisions in the Representation of the People (England and Wales) Regulations 2001.
Regulation 3 makes provision for these changes in relation to absent voters for parliamentary and local elections in Scotland by amending the relevant absent voter fresh signature provisions in the Representation of the People (Scotland) Regulations 2001. However in Scotland both the January 2014 and the January 2015 fresh signature requests are brought forward to August 2013 by this regulation because the transitional implementation of individual elector registration in Scotland is scheduled to take place in 2015 as well as in 2014.
Regulation 4 makes provision for these changes in relation to absent voters for European parliamentary elections in England, Wales, Scotland and Gibraltar by amending the relevant absent voter refresh provisions in the European Parliamentary Elections Regulations 2004.
A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sectors is foreseen.