7.—(1) A person may apply to a relevant registration officer to have the person’s voting pack for a Health Board election delivered to an address other than the address in respect of which the person is registered, or will be at the time of the next Health Board election, in the register of local government electors maintained by that officer.
(2) The relevant registration officer must grant an application if—
(a)it is not invalid, in terms of paragraph (6); and
(b)the officer is satisfied that the applicant is registered, or will be at the time of the next Health Board election, in the register of local government electors, in respect of an address in the Health Board area.
(3) A person whose application is granted under this rule is known as an “absent voter”.
(4) The relevant registration officer must notify an applicant of the officer’s decision on an application as soon as is reasonably practicable.
(5) Such a notification must, where an application is refused, give the reason for refusal.
(6) An application is invalid (and must not be granted) if received during the 35 days before the day of an election in which the person is entitled to vote.
(7) A relevant registration officer who receives an invalid application must notify the applicant to explain why the application is invalid.