{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/national-assembly-for-wales-representation-of-the-people-order-2003/schedule-5/paragraph-26",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/national-assembly-for-wales-representation-of-the-people-order-2003/schedule-5/paragraph-26.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/2003/284",
  "legislation_title": "The National Assembly for Wales (Representation of the People) Order 2003",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/national-assembly-for-wales-representation-of-the-people-order-2003",
  "path": "schedule/5/paragraph/26",
  "kind": "paragraph",
  "number": "26",
  "heading": "The official mark",
  "text": "(1) At an Assembly election every ballot paper shall be marked with an official mark, which shall perforate the ballot paper.\n(2) The official mark shall be kept secret, and an interval of not less than seven years shall intervene between the use of the same official mark—\n(a) at elections for the same Assembly constituency, or\n(b) in relation to the same Assembly constituency, at elections in the same Assembly electoral region.\n(3) At—\n(a) a constituency election, or\n(b) a regional election, in relation to an Assembly constituency within the Assembly electoral region,\nthe official mark used for ballot papers issued for the purpose of voting by post shall not be used at the same election for ballot papers issued for the purpose of voting in person.\n(4) At a regional election a different official mark may be used in Assembly constituencies in an Assembly electoral region (but only one such mark may be used in an Assembly constituency at a regional election).\n(5) At an ordinary election the same official mark may be used at a constituency election and a regional election (in relation to regional votes given in the same Assembly constituency).",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [
    {
      "type": "modified",
      "affecting": "uksi/2003/284",
      "affecting_title": "The National Assembly for Wales (Representation of the People) Order 2003"
    },
    {
      "type": "words substituted",
      "affecting": "uksi/2005/2114",
      "affecting_title": "The Civil Partnership Act 2004 (Amendments to Subordinate Legislation) Order 2005"
    },
    {
      "type": "words substituted",
      "affecting": "uksi/2005/2114",
      "affecting_title": "The Civil Partnership Act 2004 (Amendments to Subordinate Legislation) Order 2005"
    },
    {
      "type": "words substituted",
      "affecting": "uksi/2005/2114",
      "affecting_title": "The Civil Partnership Act 2004 (Amendments to Subordinate Legislation) Order 2005"
    },
    {
      "type": "words substituted",
      "affecting": "uksi/2005/2114",
      "affecting_title": "The Civil Partnership Act 2004 (Amendments to Subordinate Legislation) Order 2005"
    },
    {
      "type": "words substituted",
      "affecting": "uksi/2005/2114",
      "affecting_title": "The Civil Partnership Act 2004 (Amendments to Subordinate Legislation) Order 2005"
    },
    {
      "type": "words substituted",
      "affecting": "uksi/2005/2114",
      "affecting_title": "The Civil Partnership Act 2004 (Amendments to Subordinate Legislation) Order 2005"
    },
    {
      "type": "words substituted",
      "affecting": "uksi/2005/2114",
      "affecting_title": "The Civil Partnership Act 2004 (Amendments to Subordinate Legislation) Order 2005"
    },
    {
      "type": "words substituted",
      "affecting": "uksi/2006/884",
      "affecting_title": "The National Assembly for Wales (Representation of the People) (Amendment) Order 2006"
    },
    {
      "type": "inserted",
      "affecting": "uksi/2006/884",
      "affecting_title": "The National Assembly for Wales (Representation of the People) (Amendment) Order 2006"
    }
  ],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2003/284/schedule/5/paragraph/26",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T06:32:23.668590+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."
}