Interpretation
This section has no associated Explanatory Memorandum
3.—(1) In these Regulations—
“the 1983 Act” means the Representation of the People Act 1983;
“the 2016 Regulations” means the Recall of MPs Act 2015 (Recall Petition) Regulations 2016;
“anonymous elector’s document” means that document as designed by the Electoral Commission in accordance with regulation 15(1)(a) or (d) or (4)();
“combined authority mayoral election” means an election for the return of a mayor as provided for in an order made under Schedule 5B to the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009;
“digital service” means the Individual Electoral Registration Digital Service, which is the digital service provided by the Secretary of State for the purpose (amongst other purposes) of processing online applications for electoral identity documents under section 13BD of the 1983 Act() and for verifying information in accordance with regulation 6;
“electoral identity document” means that document as designed by the Electoral Commission in accordance with regulation 15(1)(b) or (d) or (4)();
“identity document application” means—
(a)
an application for an electoral identity document under section 13BD of the 1983 Act, or
(b)
an application for an anonymous elector’s document under section 13BE of the 1983 Act();
“issued document record entry” means an entry in the record kept in accordance with regulation 20 in respect of an anonymous elector’s document, or an electoral identity document, issued by a registration officer;
“local authority mayoral election” means an election in England for the return of an elected mayor as defined by section 9H(1) of the Local Government Act 2000();
“PCC election” means an election of a police and crime commissioner under Chapter 6 of Part 1 of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011();
“petition signing place” has the meaning given in regulation 3(1) of 2016 Regulations;
“recall petition” has the meaning given by section 1 of the Recall of MPs Act 2015;
“registration officer” means an electoral registration officer;
“signing period” has the meaning given by section 9(2) of the Recall of MPs Act 2015;
“signing sheet” has the meaning given by regulation 10 of the 2016 Regulations;
“specified document” has the meaning given by rule 37(1H) and (1K) of the elections rules;
“temporary electoral identity document” means an electoral identity document that has a temporary validity, as designed by the Electoral Commission in accordance with regulation 15(1)(c) or (d) or (4).
(2) In these Regulations other than in regulations 14(7) and 20(7), “bank holiday” means—
(a)subject to paragraph (3), in relation to a parliamentary general election, a day which is a bank holiday under the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971() in any part of the United Kingdom, and
(b)in relation to any other relevant election, petition or referendum—
(i)where the relevant election, petition or referendum is held in an area in England or Wales, a day which is a bank holiday under that Act in England and Wales;
(ii)where the relevant election, petition or referendum is held in an area in Scotland, a day which is a bank holiday under that Act in Scotland.
(3) Where at a parliamentary general election any proceedings are commenced afresh by reason of a candidate’s death, the meaning of “bank holiday” in paragraph (2)(b) applies in relation to that election rather than the meaning in paragraph (2)(a).
(4) In these Regulations, “relevant election, petition or referendum” means an election, petition or referendum listed in the first column of the following table; and the “relevant officer” for such an election, petition or referendum means the officer listed in the corresponding entry in the second column of that table—
Election, petition or referendum | Relevant officer |
---|
A parliamentary election in England, Wales or Scotland | The returning officer or (in England and Wales) an acting returning officer |
A recall petition in England, Wales or Scotland | The petition officer within the meaning of section 6 of the Recall of MPs Act 2015 |
A PCC election | The police area returning officer within the meaning of article 2(1) of the Police and Crime Commissioner Elections Order 2012() |
A local government election in England | The returning officer |
A local authority mayoral election | The returning officer within the meaning of regulation 2 of the Local Authorities (Mayoral Elections) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007() |
A combined authority mayoral election | The returning officer within the meaning of article 2 of the Combined Authorities (Mayoral Elections) Order 2017() |
A referendum under Part 1A of the Local Government Act 2000() | The counting officer within the meaning of regulation 9 of the Local Authorities (Conduct of Referendums) (England) Regulations 2012() |
A referendum under Chapter 4ZA of Part 1 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992() | The counting officer within the meaning of regulation 15 of the Local Authorities (Conduct of Referendums) (Council Tax Increases) (England) Regulations 2012() |
A referendum under Schedule 4B to the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 | The counting officer within the meaning of regulation 9 of the Neighbourhood Planning (Referendums) Regulations 2012 () |
(5) Except in Part 7, a reference in these Regulations to a numbered rule in the elections rules is to be read as a reference to—
(a)in the case of a parliamentary election, the rule of that number in the parliamentary election rules in Schedule 1 to the 1983 Act(),
(b)in the case of a recall petition, the corresponding regulation in the regulations made under section 18(1) of the Recall of MPs Act 2015, or
(c)the corresponding rule in the rules made under—
(i)in the case of a PCC election, section 58(1)(a) of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011(),
(ii)in the case of a local government election in England, section 36 of the 1983 Act(),
(iii)in the case of a local authority mayoral election, section 9HE(1)(a) of the Local Government Act 2000,
(iv)in the case of a combined authority mayoral election, paragraph 12(1)(a) of Schedule 5B to the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009,
(v)in the case of a referendum under Part 1A of the Local Government Act 2000, section 9MG(2) or (3) of that Act(),
(vi)in the case of a referendum under Chapter 4ZA of Part 1 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, section 52ZQ(1) or (2) of that Act, or
(vii)in the case of a referendum under Schedule 4B to the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, paragraph 16(1) of that Schedule.