UKPGA-2002-13 — Electoral Fraud (Northern Ireland) Act 2002

preamble

Be it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

s. 1 — Registration: provision of signature, date of birth and other information

s. 1(1)

The Representation of the People Act 1983 (c. 2) (in this Act referred to as “the 1983 Act”) is amended as follows.

s. 1(2)

In section 10 (maintenance of registers: annual canvass), after subsection (4) there is inserted—

s. 1(3)

In section 10A (maintenance of registers: registration of electors)—

s. 1(3)(a)

after subsection (1) there is inserted—,

s. 1(3)(b)

in subsection (5), at the beginning there is inserted “Subject to subsection (5A) below,”,

s. 1(3)(c)

after subsection (5) there is inserted—,

s. 1(3)(d)

in subsection (6), after “above,” there is inserted “ or his name is to be removed from it by virtue of subsection (5A) above, ”, and

s. 1(3)(e)

in subsection (8), after “(5)” there is inserted “ , (5A) ”.

s. 1(4)

In section 13A (alteration of registers), after subsection (2) there is inserted—

s. 2 — Dates of birth and ballot papers

s. 2(1)

Schedule 1 to the 1983 Act (parliamentary elections rules) is amended as follows.

s. 2(2)

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s. 2(3)

In rule 37 (delivery of ballot paper to voter except in cases of doubt)—

s. 2(3)(a)

in paragraph (1B), for “the document” to the end there is substituted—

s. 2(3)(b)

in paragraph (1C), for the words from “Where” to “decides,” there is substituted “ Where in such a case it is a presiding officer who so decides, ”, and

s. 2(3)(c)

for paragraph (1D) there is substituted—

s. 2(4)

In rule 40 (tendered ballot papers), in paragraph (1B), after “where” there is inserted—.

s. 3 — Absent votes and declarations of identity

s. 3(1)

The Representation of the People Act 1985 (c. 50) is amended in accordance with subsections (2) and (3).

s. 3(2)

In section 6 (absent vote at elections for an indefinite period)—

s. 3(2)(a)

in subsection (1), the word “and” at the end of paragraph (b) is omitted, and after that paragraph there is inserted—, and

s. 3(2)(b)

after subsection (1) there is inserted—

s. 3(3)

In section 7 (absent vote at a particular election)—

s. 3(3)(a)

in subsection (1), the word “and” at the end of paragraph (b) is omitted, and after that paragraph there is inserted—, and

s. 3(3)(b)

after subsection (1) there is inserted—

s. 3(4)

In Schedule 1 to the 1983 Act (parliamentary elections rules)—

s. 3(4)(a)

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s. 3(4)(b)

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s. 3(4)(c)

in rule 45 (the count)—

s. 3(4)(c)(i)

in paragraph (2), the words from “it is returned” to the end are to be sub-paragraph (a) of that paragraph, and after “authenticated” there is inserted, and

s. 3(4)(c)(ii)

after paragraph (2) there is inserted—

s. 4 — Electoral identity card

s. 4(1)

The 1983 Act is amended as follows.

s. 4(2)

After section 13B there is inserted—

s. 4(3)

In Schedule 1 (parliamentary elections rules), in rule 37(1E) (specified documents), after sub-paragraph (g) there is inserted—.

s. 5 — Disabled voters

s. 5(1)

In Schedule 1 to the 1983 Act (parliamentary elections rules), rule 39 (voting by persons with disabilities) is amended as follows.

s. 5(2)

In paragraph (2), for “If” there is substituted “ Subject to paragraph (2A) below, if ”.

s. 5(3)

After paragraph (2) there is inserted—.

s. 6 — Regulations as to information about national insurance numbers

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s. 7 — Offences

s. 7(1)

After section 13C of the 1983 Act (inserted by section 4 of this Act), there is inserted—

s. 7(2)

In Part 1 of Schedule 1 to the Elected Authorities (Northern Ireland) Act 1989 (c. 3) (application to local elections in Northern Ireland of provisions of the 1983 Act), in the entry relating to sections 9, 10, 10A and 13 to 13B—

s. 7(2)(a)

for “and 13 to 13B” there is substituted “ , 13 to 13B and 13D ”, and

s. 7(2)(b)

after “registers” there is inserted “ and related offences ”.

s. 8 — Short title, interpretation, commencement and extent

s. 8(1)

This Act may be cited as the Electoral Fraud (Northern Ireland) Act 2002, and is to be included among the Acts that may be cited as the Representation of the People Acts.

s. 8(2)

In this Act, “the 1983 Act” means the Representation of the People Act 1983 (c. 2).

s. 8(3)

Apart from section 5 and this section, this Act comes into force on such day as the Secretary of State may by order made by statutory instrument appoint, and different days may be appointed for different provisions and for different purposes.

s. 8(4)

An order under subsection (3) may make such transitional provision as the Secretary of State considers necessary or expedient.

s. 8(5)

This Act (except section 7) extends to Northern Ireland only.

s. 8(6)

See also paragraph 36 of Schedule 1 to the Elections Act 2022 (which relates to section 5 of this Act: disabled voters).