Explanatory note

These Regulations amend the European Parliamentary Elections (Northern Ireland) Regulations 1986 “the 1986 Regulations” which apply in Northern Ireland only.

Paragraph (a) of the amendment made by regulation 4 of these Regulations has the effect of applying for the purposes of European Parliamentary elections the addition to the list of specified documents at parliamentary elections made by regulation 4 of the Representation of the People (Northern Ireland) (Variation of Specified Documents and Amendment) Regulations 1991 “the 1991 Regulations”. Under rule 37(1A) of the parliamentary election rules in Schedule 1 to the Representation of the People Act 1983 (as inserted by the Elections (Northern Ireland) Act 1985), which provision has also been applied for the purposes of European Parliamentary elections, a ballot paper must not be delivered to a voter at a polling station unless he has produced a document on the list of specified documents to the presiding officer or a clerk. The addition made by regulation 4 of the 1991 Regulations is in respect of a card made of plastic on which the name and national insurance number of the person to whom it is issued have been embossed and which has been issued by the Department of Health and Social Security or the Department of Social Security.

Regulation 5 of these Regulations has the effect of applying for the purposes of European Parliamentary elections a consequential amendment made by regulation 8 of the 1991 Regulations to the backs of the forms of an elector’s official poll card and a proxy’s official poll card. The backs of those forms set out the list of specified documents.

Paragraph (b) of the amendment made by regulation 4 of these Regulations has the effect of applying the amendment made by section 1 of the Representation of the People Act 1990 “the 1990 Act” to section 6 of the Representation of the People Act 1985 for the purposes of European Parliamentary elections. The said section 6, as applied by the 1986 Regulations, provides for the entitlement to an absent vote for an indefinite period at European Parliamentary elections. The said section 1 adds a further ground on which the right can be claimed which applies where the applicant is no longer resident at his qualifying address or at any other address in the same area.

Regulation 6 of these Regulations applies for the purposes of European Parliamentary elections a regulation which the 1991 Regulations added to the Representation of the People (Northern Ireland) Regulations 1986 and which concerns applications for an absent vote for an indefinite period made on the grounds inserted by section 1 of the 1990 Act.