{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/local-government-act-1972/schedule-12/paragraph-38",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/local-government-act-1972/schedule-12/paragraph-38.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1972/70",
  "legislation_title": "Local Government Act 1972",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/local-government-act-1972",
  "path": "schedule/12/paragraph/38",
  "kind": "paragraph",
  "number": "38",
  "heading": null,
  "text": "If any person, in a poll consequent on a community meeting community governance poll—\n(a) fraudulently defaces or fraudulently destroys any ballot paper or the official mark; or\n(b) without due authority supplies a ballot paper to any person; or\n(c) fraudulently puts into a ballot box any paper other than the ballot paper which he is authorised by law to put in; or\n(d) fraudulently takes out of the polling station any ballot paper; or\n(e) without due authority destroys, takes, opens or otherwise interferes with any ballot box or packet of ballot papers then in use for the purposes of the poll;\nhe shall—\n(i) if he is a returning officer, or an authorised person appointed to assist in taking the poll or counting the votes, be liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years; and\n(ii) in any other case, be liable, on conviction on indictment or summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to a fine not exceeding £50, or both.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in Sch. 12 para. 38 substituted (W.) (5.5.2022) by Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021 (asc 1), s. 175(7), Sch. 13 para. 8; S.I. 2021/231, art. 6(v)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [
    {
      "type": "excluded",
      "affecting": "asc/2026/6",
      "affecting_title": "Planning (Wales) Act 2026"
    }
  ],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1972/70/schedule/12/paragraph/38",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T10:48:26.887741+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}