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The Local Elections (Northern Ireland) Order 1985

S.I. 1985/454 · Made 20 March 1985

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NORTHERN IRELAND

Laid before Parliament in draft

Made 20th March 1985

Coming into Operation 27th March 1985

At the Court at Buckingham Palace, the 20th day of March 1985

Present,

The Queen's Most Excellent Majesty in Council

Whereas a draft of this Order has been approved by resolution of each House of Parliament:

Now, therefore, Her Majesty in exercise of the powers conferred by section 38(1)(a) and (4) of the Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973f1, is pleased, by and with the advice of Her Privy Council, to order, and it is hereby ordered, as follows:

Annotations to the whole text

Footnotes

f1

1973 c. 36; section 38 was amended by paragraph 6 of Schedule 2 to the Northern Ireland Act 1982 (c. 38) and the powers in section 38(1) are referred to in section 5(1) of the Elections (Northern Ireland) Act 1985 (c. 2).

Contents

  1. 1Citation, commencement and extent
  2. 2Interpretation
  3. 3Revocations
  4. 4Local elections rules
  5. 5District electoral areas
  6. 6Manner of voting
  7. 7Election day
  8. 8Variation of certain time limits
  9. 9Limit on candidates' election expenses
  10. 10Fee for inspection of returns and declarations as to election expenses
  11. 11Right to send election address post free
  12. 12Deposit
  13. 13Disapplication of section 110 of the Act of 1962
  14. 14Voting offences
  15. 15Offences relating to specified documents
  16. 16Consequential amendments to Act of 1962
  17. 17Consequential amendment to the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972
  18. 18Consequential amendments to Electoral Law (Northern Ireland) Order 1972
  19. Signature
  20. Schedule 1SCHEDULE SUBSTITUTED FOR SCHEDULE 5 TO THE ACT OF 1962
  21. Schedule 2: ABSENT VOTING
  22. Part I: VOTING BY POST AND BY PROXY
  23. 1Interpretation
  24. 2Entitlement to absent vote for an indefinite period under Act of 1983
  25. 3Entitlement of proxy to vote by post/or an indefinite period under Act of 1983
  26. 4Absent vote at a particular local election
  27. 5Service elector's application to vote by post at a particular election
  28. 6Appointment of proxies under paragraph 4
  29. 7Voting by proxy
  30. 8List of proxies and postal voters and notifications
  31. 9Applications under paragraph 4
  32. 10Disregard of applications
  33. 11Absent voters lists
  34. 12Marked register of electors for polling stations
  35. 13Offences
  36. IIFORMS
  37. Part III: ISSUE AND RECEIPT OF POSTAL BALLOT PAPERS
  38. 1Interpretation
  39. 2Form of ballot paper
  40. 3Persons entitled to be present at issue and receipt of postal ballot papers
  41. 4Declaration of secrecy
  42. 5Notice of issue of postal ballot papers
  43. 6Marking of postal ballot paper
  44. 7Refusal to issue postal ballot paper
  45. 8Ballot paper envelope
  46. 9Delivery of postal ballot papers to post office
  47. 10Provision of postal voters' ballot box
  48. 11Sealing up of special lists and counterfoils
  49. 12Spoilt postal ballot paper
  50. 13Receipt of covering envelope
  51. 14Opening of postal voters' ballot box
  52. 15Opening of covering envelopes
  53. 16Sealing up of rejected votes and declarations of identity
  54. 17Opening of ballot paper envelopes
  55. 18Abandoned poll
  56. 19Disposal of documents
  57. Explanatory note