Amendments of the 1985 Act
5.—(1) The 1985 Act is amended as follows.
(2) In section 5 (manner of voting at parliamentary elections)(1), after subsection (5A) insert—
“(5AA) Nothing in subsections (1) to (5) applies to a person who has an anonymous entry in the register of parliamentary electors for the constituency; and such a person may only vote by post or by proxy (where entitled as an elector to vote by post or, as the case may be, by proxy at the election).”.
(3) In section 6 (absent vote at elections for an indefinite period)—
(a)before subsection (2)(a) insert—
“(za)if he has an anonymous entry,”; and
(b)after subsection (4)(b) insert—
“(ba)if he ceases to have an anonymous entry, or”.
(4) In section 7 (absent vote at a particular election and absent voters list), after subsection (4) insert—
“(4A) But in the case of a person who has an anonymous entry, the list mentioned in subsection (4)(a) or (b) must contain only—
(a)the person’s electoral number, and
(b)the date on which the person’s entitlement to remain registered anonymously will terminate under section 9C(1A) of the principal Act (in the absence of a further application under section 9B of that Act).”.
(5) In section 9 (voting as proxy)—
(a)after subsection (1) insert—
“(1A) But in the case of a person entitled to vote as proxy for an elector who has an anonymous entry—
(a)subsection (1) does not apply, and
(b)the person may only so vote by post (where entitled as a proxy to vote by post).”;
(b)in subsection (4), at the end of paragraph (b) insert “or” and after that paragraph insert—
“(c)the elector has an anonymous entry,”;
(c)in subsection (7), at the end of paragraph (b) insert “or” and after that paragraph insert—
“(c)the elector has an anonymous entry.”;
(d)after subsection (9) insert—
“(9A) In the case of a person who has an anonymous entry, the list mentioned in subsection (9)(a) or (b) must contain only—
(a)the person’s electoral number, and
(b)the date on which the entitlement of the person to remain registered anonymously will terminate under section 9C(1A) of the principal Act (in the absence of a further application under section 9B of that Act).
(9B) In the case of a person who is the proxy for an elector who has an anonymous entry, the list mentioned in subsection (9)(a) or (b) must contain only—
(a)the person’s electoral number, and
(b)the date on which the elector’s entitlement to remain registered anonymously will terminate under section 9C(1A) of the principal Act (in the absence of a further application under section 9B of that Act).”;
(e)in subsection (11), after paragraph (b) insert—
“(ba)where he was included in the record on the ground mentioned in subsection (4)(c), if the elector ceases to have an anonymous entry,”.
Sections 5 to 9 were repealed in respect of England, Scotland and Wales only by section 12 of, and Part 2 of Schedule 7 to, the Representation of the People Act 2000 (c. 2). Sections 5 to 9 were amended in relation to Northern Ireland only by paragraphs 12 to 17 of Schedule 6 to, and by Part 3 of Schedule 7 to, the Representation of the People Act 2000 (c. 2).