Part 6Conduct of elections etc.

Access to election documents

I1C1C2C3C4C5C644Access to other election documents: supplementary

1

This section applies for the purposes of section 42.

2

The relevant officer is—

a

in England and Wales, the relevant registration officer;

b

in Scotland, the relevant sheriff clerk;

c

in Northern Ireland, the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland.

3

The relevant registration officer is—

a

the registration officer of the local authority in whose area the election is held, or

b

if the election is held in respect of an electoral area which comprises any part of the area of more than one local authority, such registration officer as the Secretary of State by order appoints.

4

The relevant sheriff clerk is—

a

the sheriff clerk of the sheriff court district in which the election is held, or

b

if the election is held in respect of an electoral area which comprises any part of the area of more than one sheriff court district, the sheriff clerk of such of those districts as the Secretary of State by order appoints.

5

The relevant election documents are such documents relating to an election (other than a parliamentary election, a local government election in Scotland or a local election in Northern Ireland) as the relevant officer is required by or under any enactment to retain for any period except—

a

ballot papers;

b

completed corresponding number lists;

c

certificates as to employment on the day of the election.

6

A party is a registered party if it is registered for the purposes of Part 2 of the 2000 Act (registration of political parties).

7

An electoral area is—

a

in relation to a local government election, an electoral area within the meaning of section 203(1) of the 1983 Act;

b

in relation to an election to the National Assembly for Wales, an Assembly constituency or an Assembly electoral region within the meaning of F1section 2 of the Government of Wales Act 2006 (Assembly constituencies and electoral regions) ;

c

in relation to an election to the Scottish Parliament, a constituency or a region within the meaning of Schedule 1 to the Scotland Act 1998 (c. 46) (constituencies, regions and regional members);

d

in relation to an election to the Northern Ireland Assembly, a constituency for the purposes of section 33 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 (c. 47) (constituencies and numbers of members);

F2e

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

8

The marked register is the copy of the register of electors marked in accordance with provision corresponding to rule 37(1)(c) of the parliamentary elections rules.

9

A marked copy of the list of proxies is the copy of that list marked in accordance with provision corresponding to rule 37(1)(e) of the parliamentary elections rules.

10

A marked copy of the postal voters list or the proxy postal voters list is the copy of that list marked in accordance with provision corresponding to rule 31A(1) of the parliamentary elections rules.

11

A completed corresponding number list is a list prepared under provision corresponding to rule 19A of the parliamentary elections rules which is completed in accordance with provision corresponding to rule 37(1)(b) and (d) of those rules.

12

Expressions used in this section or section 42 or 43 and in the 1983 Act must (unless the context otherwise requires) be construed in accordance with that Act.