{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/ballot-secrecy-act-2023/section-1",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/ballot-secrecy-act-2023/section-1.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2023/12",
  "legislation_title": "Ballot Secrecy Act 2023",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/ballot-secrecy-act-2023",
  "path": "section/1",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "1",
  "heading": "Amendment of the Representation of the People Act 1983",
  "text": "In the Representation of the People Act 1983, before section 63 insert—\n“Influencing voters at polling booths\n62C (1) A person who—\n(a) is with another person at a polling booth, and\n(b) intends to influence that other person to vote in a particular way or to refrain from voting,\ncommits an offence.\n(2) A person who—\n(a) is near a polling booth when another person is at that booth, and\n(b) intends to influence that other person to vote in a particular way or to refrain from voting,\ncommits an offence.\n(3) For the purposes of this section—\n(a) a “polling booth” is a compartment in a polling station in which voters can mark votes screened from observation;\n(b) assisting a person with voting, in accordance with rule 39 of Schedule 1 or any other legislation, is not influencing that person to vote in a particular way or to refrain from voting;\n(c) a person may be near one polling booth while at a different polling booth.\n(4) A person who commits an offence under this section is liable on summary conviction—\n(a) in England and Wales, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months, to a fine or to both;\n(b) in Scotland or Northern Ireland, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months, to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale or to both.\n(5) This section does not have effect in relation to an election in Scotland or Wales under the local government Act.”",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "S. 1 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 3(4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I2",
      "text": "S. 1 in force at 2.5.2024 by S.I. 2023/1145, reg. 8"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/12/section/1",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T08:53:13.658432+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}