The National Assembly for Wales (Representation of the People) (Amendment) Order 2016

Amendment of Schedule 5 (Assembly election rules)

18.—(1) Amend Schedule 5 (Assembly election rules) as follows.

(2) In the right-hand column of the table in rule 1 (timetable)—

(a) for the entry alongside “delivery of nomination papers” substitute “Between the hours of 10 in the morning and 4 in the afternoon on any day after the date of publication of the notice of election but not later than the nineteenth day before the day of the election.”;

(b) in the entry alongside “delivery of notices of withdrawal of candidature” for “noon” substitute “4 in the afternoon” and for “seventeenth” substitute “nineteenth”;

(c) in the entry alongside “publication of statement of persons nominated” for “noon” substitute “4 in the afternoon” and for “sixteenth” substitute “eighteenth”.

(3) In rule 38(5) (appointment of polling and counting agents), for “second” substitute “fifth”.

(4) In rule 39 (notification of requirement of secrecy), make the existing provision paragraph (1) and after that paragraph insert—

“(2) In paragraph (1) a reference to a constable includes a person designated as a community support officer under section 38 of the Police Reform Act 2002.”.

(5) In rule 41 (admission to polling station), after paragraph (6) insert—

“(7) In this rule a reference to a constable includes a person designated as a community support officer under section 38 of the Police Reform Act 2002.”.

(6) In rule 46 (voting procedure), after paragraph (7) insert—

“(8) A voter who at the close of the poll is in the polling station, or in a queue outside the polling station, for the purpose of voting shall (despite the close of the poll) be entitled to apply for a ballot paper under paragraph (1); and these rules apply in relation to such a voter accordingly.”.

(7) In rule 55 (the count), after paragraph (6) insert—

“(6A) A postal ballot paper or postal voting statement that reaches the constituency returning officer or a polling station at or after the close of the poll is treated for the purposes of paragraph (6) as reaching that officer or polling station before the close of the poll if it is delivered by a person who, at the close of the poll, is in the polling station, or in a queue outside the polling station, for the purpose of returning it.”