Paragraph 6 Representation of the People Act 1985I1

Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act 1985 (proxies at parliamentary elections in Northern Ireland) is amended as follows.

After subsection (2) insert—

“(2A)

A person is not capable of being appointed to vote, or voting, as proxy at a parliamentary election unless the person is or will be registered in a register of parliamentary electors in Great Britain or Northern Ireland.”

In subsection (3)—

For subsection (5) substitute—

“(5)

A person—

(a)

is not entitled to vote as proxy at a parliamentary election on behalf of more than two electors who do not fall within subsection (5A), but

(b)

subject to paragraph (a), is entitled to vote as proxy at a parliamentary election on behalf of up to four electors.

(5A)

An elector falls within this subsection if the elector is registered in a register of parliamentary electors in pursuance of an overseas elector’s declaration or a service declaration.

(5B)

Where the polls for two or more parliamentary elections are held on the same day, references in subsection (5A) to a parliamentary election are to all of those elections taken together.”

After subsection (7) insert—

“(7A)

The requirements prescribed under subsections (6) and (7) must include a requirement for an application to contain the proxy’s date of birth.”