# The Recall of MPs Act 2015 (Recall Petition) Regulations 2016, Regulation 28: Signing procedure: Northern Ireland


(1) Subject to paragraphs (3) and (5), a signing sheet must be delivered to a person who applies for one and, immediately before delivery—
(a) the number and name of the elector as stated in the copy of the register must be called out;
(b) the number of the elector must be marked on the list mentioned in regulation 19(3)(d) (equipment at petition signing place) beside the number of the signing sheet to be delivered to that person;
(c) a mark must be placed in the copy of the register against the number of the elector to denote that a signing sheet has been received but without showing the particular signing sheet which has been received;
(d) in the case of a person applying for a signing sheet as proxy, a mark must also be placed against the proxy’s name in the list of proxies.
(2) In the case of an elector in respect of whom a notice has been issued under section 13BC(6) of the 1983 Act, in subparagraphs (a) and (c) of paragraph (1) the reference to “copy of the register” is to be read as “copy of the notice issued under section 13BC(6) of the 1983 Act”.
(3) A signing sheet must not be delivered to an elector unless that person has produced a specified document to the petition clerk or assistant for inspection by them.
(4) Where a person produces a specified document, the petition clerk or assistant to whom it is produced must deliver a signing sheet to that person unless the clerk or assistant decides that—
(a) the document; or
(b) the apparent age of that person as compared with the age according to the date supplied as the date of the person’s birth pursuant to section 10(4A)(b), 10A(1A) or 13A(2A)(b) of the 1983 Act (information provided by the canvass or an application for registration);
raises a reasonable doubt as to whether the person is the elector or proxy whom that person represents themselves to be.
(5) Where in such a case it is a petition clerk who so decides, the petition clerk must refuse to deliver a signing sheet to that person.
(6) Where in such a case it is an assistant who so decides, the assistant must refer the matter and produce the document to the petition clerk, who must proceed as if it had been to the petition clerk that the person had produced the document in the first place.
(7) For the purposes of this regulation, a specified document is one which for the time being falls within the list specified in rule 37(1E) of the parliamentary election rules as amended from time to time by virtue of rule 37(1F) of those rules (voting procedure).
(8) On receiving the signing sheet the person must without undue delay—
(a) decide whether or not to sign the sheet and, if they decide to do so, sign it;
(b) fold it up and show to the petition clerk the back of the signing sheet (so as to disclose the number and other unique identifying mark); and
(c) put the signing sheet so folded up into the ballot box in the petition clerk’s presence.
(9) The person must leave the petition signing place immediately after putting the signing sheet into the ballot box.
(10) A person who for the purpose of signing the petition is in a petition signing place, or is in a queue outside a petition signing place, at the end of the period for which the petition is available for signing on that day must (despite the fact that the period for signing the petition on that day has ended) be entitled to apply for a signing sheet under paragraph (1), and these Regulations apply in relation to such a person accordingly.
(11) This regulation does not apply in relation to an elector who has an anonymous entry in a register maintained by the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2016/9780111141991/regulation/28 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/draft-recall-of-mps-act-2015-recall-petition-regulations-2016/regulation-28
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.