The Voter Identification Regulations 2022

CHAPTER 3 E+W+S Replacement of anonymous elector’s documents following loss etc. of document

Replacement of anonymous elector’s document following loss etc. of document E+W+S

30.—(1) This regulation applies where—

(a) a person (“P”) has been issued with an anonymous elector’s document in accordance with these Regulations,

(b) P intends to use that document as a specified document at a relevant election, petition or referendum, and

(c) during the replacement period for that relevant election, petition or referendum the document is lost, stolen, destroyed or damaged so as to be no longer usable as a specified document.

(2) Where this regulation applies, P may make a request during the replacement period to the registration officer for a replacement anonymous elector’s document.

(3) Where P makes a request in accordance with paragraph (2), the registration officer must issue a replacement anonymous elector’s document (“the replacement document”), and regulation 16(1) applies in relation to the issue of the replacement document as that regulation applies following the granting of an identity document application in accordance with regulation 11(2)(a), subject to the following modifications—

(a) references to the applicant are to be read as references to P;

(b) in regulation 16(1)(c), the reference to the photograph of the applicant is to be read as a reference to the photograph of P contained in the issued document record entry relating to the anonymous elector’s document described in paragraph (1)(a).

(4) The registration officer must—

(a) arrange for the replacement document to be made available for collection by P in person, and

(b) notify P—

(i) that the replacement document is available to be collected,

(ii) of the location where and the times during which the replacement document may be collected,

(iii) that the replacement document may only be collected by P in person, and

(iv) that when collecting the issued document P must bring their certificate of anonymous registration and must show the certificate upon request.

(5) Where the issued document record entry relating to the anonymous elector’s document described in paragraph (1)(a) contains information described in regulation 20(3)(f), the registration officer must also arrange for a Braille, easy read or large print explanation of the replacement document to be made available for collection with the replacement document.

(6) In this regulation—

(a) “certificate of anonymous registration” has the same meaning as in regulation 17(6);

(b) the “replacement period”, in respect of a relevant election, petition or referendum means the period—

(i) beginning at 5pm on the sixth working day before the relevant date, and

(ii) ending at the relevant time on the relevant date.

(7) For the purposes of paragraph (6)(b)—

(a) the “relevant date” means—

(i) where the relevant election, petition or referendum is a recall petition, the last day of the signing period for that petition;

(ii) otherwise, the day of the poll at that election or referendum;

(b) the “relevant time” on the relevant date means—

(i) 5pm, or

(ii) if earlier, where the relevant election, petition or referendum is a recall petition, the beginning of the final hour during which the petition will be available for signing at the allotted petition signing place on that day;

(c) “working day” means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday, Good Friday, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day or a bank holiday.

(8) In paragraph (7)(b), “allotted petition signing place” means the petition signing place allotted to P in accordance with regulation 16 of the 2016 Regulations.

Commencement Information

I1 Reg. 30 in force at 16.1.2023, see reg. 1(3)