Paragraph 4A Offences relating to applications for postal and proxy votes at a local electionF1
A person (“P”) is guilty of a corrupt practice if P—
engages in an act specified in sub-paragraph (2) at a local election, and
intends, by doing so, to deprive another of an opportunity to vote or to make for P or another a gain of a vote to which P or the other is not otherwise entitled or a gain of money or property.
These are the acts—
applying for a postal or proxy vote as some other person (whether that other person is living or dead or is a fictitious person);
otherwise making a false statement in, or in connection with, an application for a postal or proxy vote;
inducing the registration officer or returning officer to send a postal ballot paper or any communication relating to a postal or proxy vote to an address which has not been agreed to by the person entitled to the vote;
causing a communication relating to a postal or proxy vote or containing a postal ballot paper not to be delivered to the intended recipient.
In sub-paragraph (1)(b), property includes any description of property.
In sub-paragraph (2) a reference to a postal vote or a postal ballot paper includes a reference to a proxy postal vote or a proxy postal ballot paper (as the case may be).
For the purposes of this paragraph—
“postal ballot paper” means a ballot paper issued to a postal voter;
“postal voter” means a person entitled to vote by post at an election as an absent voter or as a proxy; and
“proxy postal ballot paper” means a ballot paper issued to a proxy postal voter.
Annotations
Textual amendments
- F1
Sch. 9 para. 4A inserted (16.12.2010) by Local Elections (Northern Ireland) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/2977), arts. 1(2), 4, Sch. 1 para. 30 (with art. 1(3))
Notes on the whole Act
Textual amendments
- F1
Refs. to registration officer, returning officer or electoral officer are to be construed as refs. to Chief Electoral Officer, 1972 NI 13
Notes on Schedule NINTH
Textual amendments
- F1
mod. SI 2003/1557