The Greater London Authority Elections Rules 2000

Rule 3

SCHEDULE 4THE ORDINARY ELECTIONS RULES

Citation, application and interpretation

1.—(1) These Rules may be cited as the Ordinary Elections Rules.

(2) These Rules, as read with the Constituency Members Election Rules, the London Members Election Rules or the Mayoral Election Rules, as the circumstances require, apply in relation to every ordinary election and have effect notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any of those other Rules.

(3) In these Rules—

“candidate” means, as the circumstances require, a candidate at any of the following—

“CMER” means the Constituency Members Election Rules;

“election” means an ordinary election;

“LMER” means the London Members Election Rules;

“MER” means the Mayoral Election Rules,

and unless the contrary intention appears, other expressions used in these Rules and in the CMER, the LMER or the MER have the same meaning in these Rules as they have in those Rules.

Ballot papers (CMER rule 15, LMER and MER rule 16)

2.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), the ballot papers at an ordinary election shall be of different colours according to whether the election is to be held under the CMER, the LMER or the MER.

(2) Where, at an ordinary election at which two (or more) polls are to be taken together, the votes are to be counted electronically, the GLRO may determine that two or more ballot papers shall appear on the same sheet of paper.

(3) At an ordinary election—

(a)the ballot paper at the election held under the CMER shall include the heading “ELECTION OF [insert name of constituency] CONSTITUENCY MEMBER”;

(b)the ballot paper at the election held under the LMER shall include the heading “ELECTION OF LONDON MEMBER”; and

(c)the ballot paper at the election held under the MER shall include the heading “ELECTION OF MAYOR”.

(4) In a case to which paragraph (2) applies the headings required by paragraph (3)(a) and (b) shall appear consecutively below the heading “ELECTION OF THE LONDON ASSEMBLY”.

Notice of poll (CMER rule 19, LMER and MER rule 20)

3.  The notices of poll at an ordinary election shall include the heading “GREATER LONDON AUTHORITY ELECTION”.

Postal ballot papers (CMER rule 20, LMER and MER rule 21)

4.  Where the polls at an ordinary election are taken together—

(a)the proceedings on the issue and receipt of postal ballot papers in respect of each election may be taken together; and

(b)a joint declaration of identity shall be issued in the appropriate form.

Issue of poll cards (CMER rule 23, LMER and MER rule 24)

5.  Combined poll cards shall be issued in the appropriate form.

Equipment of polling stations (CMER rule 24, LMER and MER rule 25)

6.—(1) The ballot papers shall, as the GLRO may decide, be placed—

(a)in a single ballot box; or

(b)in separate ballot boxes according to whether the votes given on them are cast in the election under the CMER, the LMER or the MER.

(2) All notices shall be in the appropriate form.

Voting procedure (CMER rule 32, LMER and MER rule 33)

7.  The same copy of the register of electors may be used for each election and one mark may be placed in that register to denote that a ballot paper has been received in respect of each election; except that, where a ballot paper has been issued in respect of one election only, a different mark shall be placed in the register so as to identify the election in respect of which the ballot paper was issued.

Votes marked by presiding officer (CMER rule 33, LMER and MER rule 34)

8.  The same list may be used for each election and, where it is so used, an entry in that list shall be taken to mean that the ballot papers were so marked in respect of each election, unless the list identifies the election at which the ballot paper was so marked.

Voting by blind persons (CMER rule 34, LMER and MER rule 35)

9.  The same list may be used for each election and, where it is so used, an entry in that list shall be taken to mean that the votes were so given in respect of each election, unless the list identifies the election at which the vote was so given.

Tendered ballot papers (CMER rule 35, LMER and MER rule 36)

10.  The same list may be used for each election and, where it is so used, an entry in that list shall be taken to mean that tendered ballot papers were marked in respect of each election, unless the list identifies the election at which a tendered ballot paper was marked.

Ballot paper accounts (CMER rule 38(4), LMER and MER rule 39(4))

11.  Where the GLRO determines, in accordance with rule 2(2), that ballot papers shall be combined, ballot paper accounts shall also be combined.

The count (CMER 40, LMER and MER 41)

12.—(1) In any case to which rule 6(1)(b) applies, the ballot boxes from each polling station shall be opened together, and the ballot papers counted and verified together.

(2) The hours between 5 in the afternoon and 10 on the following morning may be excluded only with the prior consent of the GLRO.

Result of election (CMER 45, LMER 48, MER 50)

13.—(1) Each CRO shall inform the proper officer of the Authority of the result of the election for the return of the constituency member for the constituency.

(2) The GLRO shall inform the proper officer of the Authority of the result of the elections for the return of the Mayor and the London members.

Countermand or abandonment of poll on death of candidate (CMER 51, MER 56)

14.  The countermand of a poll or the direction that a poll be abandoned shall have effect only in relation to the election for the return of a constituency member or, as the case may be, the election for the return of the Mayor, to which the countermand or direction relates.

Effect of candidate being returned both as Mayor and constituency member

15.  Subsection (1) of section 39 (local elections void etc. in England and Wales) of the 1983 Act(1) shall apply in respect of any vacancy arising in an Assembly constituency in the circumstances mentioned in section 4(10) of the 1999 Act as if for the reference to the returning officer there were substituted a reference to the CRO.