Representation of the People Act 1983

Part VU.K. General and Supplemental

SupplementalU.K.

[F1199ZA.Functions of the Lord President of the CouncilU.K.

See the Lord President of the Council Order 2010 by virtue of which functions of the Secretary of State under this Act are exercisable concurrently with the Lord President of the Council.]

F2199. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .U.K.

[F3199AFunctions of the Lord ChancellorU.K.

F4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .]

[F5199BTranslations etc of certain documentsU.K.

(1)Subsections (2) and (3) below apply to any document which under or by virtue of this Act is required or authorised to be given to voters or displayed in any place for the purposes of a parliamentary or local government election.

(2)The person who is required or authorised to give or display the document must, as he thinks appropriate, give or display or otherwise make available in such form as he thinks appropriate—

(a)the document in Braille;

(b)the document in languages other than English;

(c)graphical representations of the information contained in the document;

(d)other means of making the information contained in the document accessible to persons who might not otherwise have reasonable access to the information.

(3)The person required or authorised to give or display the document must also, as he thinks appropriate, make available the information contained in the document in such audible form as he thinks appropriate.

(4)Subsections (2) and (3) above do not apply to—

(a)the nomination paper;

(b)the ballot paper.

(5)The returning officer at a parliamentary election or a local government election may cause to be displayed at every polling station in the election an enlarged sample copy of the ballot paper.

(6)The sample copy mentioned in subsection (5) above—

(a)in the case of a parliamentary election or a local government election where only one candidate is to be elected, must have printed the words “VOTE FOR ONE CANDIDATE ONLY” both at the top and immediately below the list of candidates,

(b)in the case of a local government election where more than one candidate is to be elected, must have printed the words “VOTE FOR NO MORE THAN [here insert the maximum number of candidates to be elected] CANDIDATES” both at the top and immediately below the list of candidates, and

(c)in each case, below the second occurrence of those words, may include a translation of those words into such other languages as the returning officer thinks appropriate.

(7)The returning officer at a parliamentary election or a local government election must provide at every polling station in the election an enlarged hand-held sample copy of the ballot paper for the assistance of voters who are partially sighted.

(8)The sample copy mentioned in subsection (7) above must be clearly marked as a specimen provided only for the guidance of voters.

(9)In the application of subsection (2)(b) to Northern Ireland any question as to whether a person is to give or display or otherwise make available a document in a language other than English is to be decided by the returning officer.

(10)This section does not apply to a local government election in Scotland.]

[F6199CScottish local government elections: translations etc. of certain documentsS

(1)Subsections (2) and (3) below apply to any document which, under or by virtue of this Act, is required or authorised to be given to voters or displayed in any place for the purposes of a local government election in Scotland.

(2)The person who is required or authorised to give or display the document must, as he thinks appropriate, also give or display or otherwise make available in such form as he thinks appropriate—

(a)the document in Braille;

(b)the document in languages other than English;

(c)graphical representations of the information contained in the document;

(d)other means of making the information contained in the document accessible to persons who might not otherwise have reasonable access to the information.

(3)The person required or authorised to give or display the document must also, as he thinks appropriate, make available the information contained in the document in such audible form as he thinks appropriate.

(4)Subsections (2) and (3) above do not apply to—

(a)the nomination paper; or

(b)the ballot paper.]

200 Public notices, and declarations.U.K.

[F7(1)A public notice required by or under this Act to be given by a returning officer for a parliamentary election shall be given by posting the notice in some conspicuous place or places in the constituency and may also be given in such other manner as he thinks desirable for publicising it.

(1A)A public notice required by or under this Act to be given by the proper officer of a local authority at a local government election shall be given by posting the notice in some conspicuous place or places in the local government area and may also be given in such other manner as he thinks desirable for publicising it.]

(2)Any person before whom a declaration is authorised to be made under this Act may take the declaration.

[F8200A Remuneration for free postal services provided under Act.U.K.

(1)This section applies where any postal services are provided without charge by a [F9universal postal service provider] in pursuance of this Act.

(2)The [F9universal postal service provider] shall be entitled to be remunerated for having provided the services at the rate fixed in relation to them by virtue of a scheme under section 89 of the Postal Services Act 2000.

(3)A sum which a [F9universal postal service provider] is entitled to receive by virtue of this section shall be charged on, and issued out of, the Consolidated Fund.

[F10(4)In this section “postal services” has the meaning given by section 27 of the Postal Services Act 2011.]]

201 Regulations.U.K.

(1)Any power conferred by this Act to make regulations shall, except where this Act otherwise provides, be a power exercisable by the Secretary of State [F11and except in the case of regulations under section 29(8)]by statutory instrument.

[F12(2)No regulations shall be made under this Act by the Secretary of State otherwise than under [F13[F14section [F1510(4) or] 110(7)] above or] section 203(4) below unless a draft of the regulations has been laid before and approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament.]

[F16(2A)Any regulations under section [F1710(4) or] 110(7) above shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.]

[F18(2C)Regulations made for the purposes only of omitting a particular kind of evidence from the kinds of evidence that a person is or may be required to provide by virtue of regulations under paragraph 1(2A) or 3ZA(3) of Schedule 2 shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament (and subsection (2) does not apply to regulations made for those purposes only).]

[F19(3)Any regulations under this Act may make different provision for different cases, circumstances or areas and may contain such incidental, supplemental, saving or transitional provisions as the Secretary of State [F20, or the Electoral Commission (in the case of any regulations made by them),] thinks fit.]

InterpretationU.K.

202 General provisions as to interpretation.U.K.

(1)In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—

• F21. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• [F22“anonymous entry”, in relation to a register of electors, shall be construed in accordance with section 9B above and “the record of anonymous entries”, means the record prepared in pursuance of regulations made by virtue of paragraph 8A of Schedule 2 to this Act;]

• F23. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• [F24“citizen of the Union” shall be construed in accordance with Article 8.1 of the Treaty establishing the European Community (as amended by Title II of the Treaty on European Union), and “relevant citizen of the Union” means such a citizen who is not a Commonwealth citizen or a citizen of the Republic of Ireland;]

• “the City” means the City of London;

• “Clerk of the Crown” means Clerk of the Crown in Chancery;

• “Common Council” means the Common Council of the City;

• [F25“disability”, in relation to doing a thing, includes a short term inability to do it;]

• [F26“dwelling” includes any part of a building where that part is occupied separately as a dwelling;]

• “election” means a parliamentary election[F27, an Authority election] or an election under the local government Act;

• “election court” means—

  (a)

  In relation to a parliamentary election petition, the judges presiding at the trial;

  (b)

  in relation to a petition questioning [F28an Authority election or] an election under the local government Act, the court constituted under this Act for the trial of that petition;

• “election petition” means a petition presented in pursuance of Part III of this Act;

• “elector” in relation to an election, means any person [F29who has for the time being an entry] on the register to be used at that election, but does not include those shown in the register [F30(or, in the case of a person who has an anonymous entry in the register, in the record of anonymous entries)] as below voting age on the day fixed for the poll;

• “legal incapacity” includes (in addition[F31, where applicable,] to any incapacity by virtue of any subsisting provision of the common law) any disqualification imposed by this Act or any other Act;

• [F32“legal process” means a claim form, application notice, writ, summons or other process;]

• [F33“the list of proxies” has, in relation to any election, the meaning given by [F34paragraph 5(3) of Schedule 4 to the Representation of the People Act 2000 or, as respects Northern Ireland, by] section 7 of the Representation of the People Act 1985]

• [F35“overseas elector’s declaration” has the meaning given by section 2 of the Representation of the People Act 1985]

• “parliamentary election petition” means an election petition questioning a parliamentary election or return;

• [F36“the postal voters list” means—

  (a)

  in relation to England and Wales and Scotland, the list of persons kept in pursuance of paragraph 5(2) of Schedule 4 to the Representation of the People Act 2000 (persons whose applications to vote by post have been granted);

  (b)

  in relation to Northern Ireland, the list of persons kept in pursuance of section 7(4)(a) of the Representation of the People Act 1985 (persons whose applications to vote by post have been granted);

• “the proxy postal voters list” means—

  (a)

  in relation to England and Wales and Scotland, the list of persons kept in pursuance of paragraph 7(8) of Schedule 4 to the Representation of the People Act 2000 (persons whose applications to vote by post as proxy have been granted);

  (b)

  in relation to Northern Ireland, the list of persons kept in pursuance of section 9(9) of the Representation of the People Act 1985 (persons whose applications to vote by post as proxy have been granted).]

• “parliamentary elections rules” means the parliamentary elections rules in Schedule 1 to this Act;

• “person” includes (without prejudice to the provisions of the M1Interpretation Act 1978) an association corporate or unincorporate;

• “prescribed” except in Part III of this Act means prescribed by regulations;

• [F37“proper officer”—

  (a)

  in relation to the Greater London Authority, has the same meaning as in the 1999 Act (see section 424(2) of that Act);

  (b)

  except as provided by paragraph (a) above, in England and Wales means a proper officer within the meaning of section 270(3) and (4) of the M2Local Government Act 1972;]

• [F38“qualifying address” shall be construed in accordance with section 9(8) above;]

• [F39“registered political party” means [F40a party registered under Part II of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000;]]

• F41. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• “service voter” means a person who has made a service declaration and is registered or entitled to be registered in pursuance of it;

• F42. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• F42. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• “sub-agent” has the meaning given by section 68(1) above;

• [F43“universal postal service provider” means a universal service provider (within the meaning of [F44Part 3 of the Postal Services Act 2011]);]

• “voter” means a person voting at an election and includes a person voting as proxy and, except in the parliamentary elections rules, and the rules under section 36 and 42 above, a person voting by proxy, and “vote” (whether noun or verb) shall be construed accordingly, except that in those rules any reference to an elector voting or an elector’s vote shall include a reference to an elector voting by proxy or an elector’s vote given by proxy.

(2)For the purposes of the Representation of the People Acts a person shall be deemed not to have attained a given age until the commencement of the relevant anniversary of the day of his birth.

203 Local government provisions as to England and Wales.U.K.

(1)In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, in relation to England and Wales—

• F45. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• [F46“Assembly constituency” has the same meaning as in the 1999 Act (see section 2(4) and (5) of that Act);]

• [F46“Authority election” means—

  (a)

  any election of the Mayor of London;

  (b)

  any election of a constituency member of the London Assembly; or

  (c)

  the election of the London members of the London Assembly at an ordinary election;]

• [F46“constituency member”, in relation to the London Assembly, has the same meaning as in the 1999 Act;]

• [F46“election of a constituency member of the London Assembly” means—

  (a)

  any such election at an ordinary election; or

  (b)

  an election under section 10 of the 1999 Act (election to fill a vacancy in an Assembly constituency);]

• [F46“election of the Mayor of London” means—

  (a)

  any such election at an ordinary election; or

  (b)

  an election under section 16 of the 1999 Act (election to fill a vacancy in the office of Mayor of London);]

• [F47“electoral area” means

  (a)

  F48 any electoral division or ward or, in the case of a parish or community in which there are no wards, the parish or community, for which the election of councillors is held under the local government Act]

  (b)

  [F49Greater London, in the case of—

  (i)

  any election of the Mayor of London; or

  (ii)

  the election of the London members of the London Assembly at an ordinary election;

  (c)

  any Assembly constituency for which the election of a constituency member of the London Assembly is held;]

• “local authority” means [F50the Greater London Authority,] a county council [F51a county borough council,], F52. . . a district council, a London borough council F53 . . . or a parish or community council;

• “local government Act” means the M3Local Government Act 1972 F54 . . .;

• “local government area” means [F55Greater London,]a county [F56county borough,], London borough F57. . . , district, parish or community;

• “local government election” means

  (a)

  F58 the election of councillors for any electoral area [F59; or

  (b)

  any Authority election]

• [F46“London member”, in relation to the London Assembly, has the same meaning as in the 1999 Act;]

• [F46“the 1999 Act” means the Greater London Authority Act 1999;]

[F60(1A)In the application of this Act in relation to England and Wales, unless the context otherwise requires, any reference to—

(a)a local government election, or

(b)an election under the local government Act,

shall be taken to include a reference to an Authority election.

F60(1B)Any reference in this Act to a registered political party submitting a list of candidates to be London members of the London Assembly at an ordinary election shall be construed in accordance with section 4(5)(a) of, and Part II of Schedule 2 to, the 1999 Act; and related expressions shall be construed accordingly.]

[F61(2)The following provisions of this Act, namely—

(a)Part I, so far as it has effect for the purposes of parliamentary elections, and

(b)Parts I to III, so far as they have effect for the purposes of Authority elections,

shall (subject to any express provision contained in the Part or Parts in question) apply in relation to the City as if the City were a London borough and the Common Council were a London borough council.

(3)The modifications made by subsection (2) above do not affect section 52(4) above.

(4)This Act applies in relation to the Isles of Scilly as if those isles were a county and as if the council of those isles were a county council, except that—

(a)[F62the council shall appoint an officer of the council to be registration officer for the isles and] paragraph 1(1) of Schedule 2 F63. . . shall apply as if the isles were a district and the council were a district council;

(b)the provisions of Part I relating to the conduct of local government elections shall have effect in relation to those isles subject to such adaptations as the Secretary of State may by regulations prescribe.

(5)For the purposes of section 265 of the M4Local Government Act 1972 (application to Isles of Scilly) the provisions of this Act as to rules made by the Secretary of State under section 36 above shall be deemed to be contained in a public general Act relating to local government.

Scotland and Northern IrelandU.K.

204 General application to Scotland.U.K.

(1)This section has (in addition to any express application elsewhere in this Act) effect for the general application of this Act to Scotland, and accordingly—

• “electoral area”, in relation to a local government election, means the electoral F64. . . ward for which the election is held;

• [F65“local authority” means a council constituted under section 2 of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994]

• “local government Act” means the [F66Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004 (asp 9)];

• [F67“local government area” means the area of a local authority;]

• “local government election” means an election of councillors by local government electors for an electoral area.

(2)For a reference to a borough constituency substitute a reference to a burgh constituency.

(3)For a reference to the High Court substitute a reference to the Court of Session and for a reference to the county court or a judge of that court substitute a reference to the sheriff.

(4)The power conferred by section 57 above on the Court of Session to make acts of sederunt for the appointment of judges to hear appeals under that section or to fill any vacancy among the judges so appointed is not required to be exercisable by statutory instrument.

(5)A reference to the Director of Public Prosecutions or the Attorney General refers to the Lord Advocate.

(6)for a reference to a plaintiff or defendant substitute respectively a reference to a pursuer or defender, for a reference to a recognisance substitute a reference to a bond of caution and for a reference to an injunction substitute a reference to an interdict.

(7)Any reference to the report of an election court shall, in relation to an election court trying a petition questioning an election of councillors in Scotland, be construed as a reference to a finding of the court, and the expression “reported of a corrupt or illegal practice” shall be construed accordingly.

(8)For a reference to the register of licences substitute a reference to the register kept in pursuance of section 20 of the M5Licensing (Scotland) Act 1976.

(9)Section 231 of the M6Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (application to sheriff in cases of difficulty) applies to the provisions of sections 41 to 45 above as that section applied to those provisions immediately before their repeal and reenactment by this Act.

(10)Notwithstanding the repeal by this Act of sections 19 and 43 of the Representation of the M7People Act 1918, those sections shall continue to have such effect as they had immediately before that repeal in relation to regulation 16 of section 2 of the M8Universities Elections Amendment (Scotland) Act 1881.

205 General application to Northern Ireland.U.K.

(1)This section has (in addition to any express application elsewhere in the Act) effect for the general application of this Act to Northern Ireland, and accordingly—

[F68(a)a reference to the Attorney General refers to the Attorney General for Northern Ireland;

(aa)a reference to the Director of Public Prosecutions refers to the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland;]

(b)subject to subsection (2) below, a reference to any enactment shall be construed as a reference to that enactment as it applies in Northern Ireland.

(2)Nothing in this Act affects the law relating to local government in Northern Ireland.

OperationU.K.

206 Transitional and saving provisions, amendments and repeals.U.K.

In Schedule 7 to this Act—

(a)Part I has effect as to its transitional and saving provisions, and

(b)Part II has effect as to its provisions relating to the interpretation of other Acts,

and subject to that Schedule—

(i)the enactments and order specified in Schedule 8 to this Act have effect subject to the amendments consequent on this Act specified in that Schedule; and

(ii)the enactments and orders specified in Schedule 9 to this Act (of which those in Part I are obsolete) are repealed or revoked to the extent specified in the third column of that Schedule.

207 Citation and commencement.U.K.

(1)This Act may be cited as the Representation of the People Act 1983, and is included among the Acts which may be cited as the Representation of the People Acts.

(2)This Act shall come into force on such day as the Secretary of State may by order made by statutory instrument appoint.