Regulation 19 Equipment at petition signing placeI1
United Kingdom
The petition officer must provide each petition clerk with such ballot boxes and signing sheets as in the petition officer’s opinion are necessary for the conduct of the petition.
Every ballot box must be so constructed that the signing sheets can be put in it, but cannot be withdrawn from it, without the box being unlocked (if it has a lock), or without breaking the petition clerk’s seal.
The petition officer must provide each petition signing place with—
materials to enable persons to sign the signing sheets;
copies of the register, or such part of it, which lists the persons entitled to sign the petition at that place;
the parts of any special lists prepared for the petition corresponding to the register or the part of it provided under subparagraph (b);
that part of the list prepared under regulation 11(1)(a) (corresponding number lists) which contains the numbers (but not the other unique identifying marks) corresponding to those on the signing sheets provided to the petition clerk of the petition signing place;
in the case of a petition signing place in Northern Ireland, the lists prepared under regulation 13A (date of birth lists).
For a petition signing place in England, Wales or Scotland, the petition officer must also provide each petition signing place with a signing sheet refusal list, in the form set out in Form G1 in Schedule 2 or a form to like effect, on which entries are to be made as mentioned in regulation 30A (refusal to deliver signing sheet: England and Wales and Scotland).
The petition officer must also provide each petition signing place with—
at least one large version of the signing sheet which must be displayed inside the petition signing place for the assistance of persons who are partially-sighted; and
such equipment as it is reasonable to provide for the purposes of enabling, or making it easier for, relevant persons to sign the signing sheet independently in the manner directed by regulation 27 (signing procedure: England and Wales and Scotland) or regulation 28 (signing procedure: Northern Ireland); and for this purpose “relevant persons” means persons who find it difficult or impossible to sign the signing sheet because of—
blindness or partial sight, or
another disability.
Paragraph (10) of rule 29 of Schedule 1 to the 1983 Act (Parliamentary elections rules: guidance to returning officers) applies for the purposes of paragraph (4)(b) of this regulation as it applies for the purposes of that rule, but as if—
the reference in that paragraph to the returning officer were a reference to the petition officer, and
the reference in that paragraph to paragraph (3A)(b) were a reference to paragraph (4)(b) of this regulation.
A notice in the form set out in Form H in Schedule 2, giving directions for the guidance of the persons in signing the petition, must be printed in conspicuous characters and exhibited inside every petition signing place.
A large notice must be displayed inside each petition signing place in England, Wales and Scotland containing—
details of the documents that a person needs to produce when applying for a signing sheet, namely—
in the case of a person (other than a person with an anonymous entry) or a proxy, any of the forms of identification for the time referred to in rule 37(1H) of Schedule 1 to the 1983 Act (parliamentary elections rules);
in the case of a person with an anonymous entry, the person’s official petition notice and an anonymous elector’s document showing the same electoral number as the number shown on the official petition notice; and
a statement that further proof of identity may be required to resolve any discrepancy between the name of the holder of a form of identification and the name of the elector or proxy that the person attending that place for the purpose of signing the petition claims to be.
The reference in paragraph (3)(b) to copies of the register includes a reference to copies of any notice issued under section 13BC(6) of the 1983 Act (alteration of registers: recall petition).
Annotations
Textual amendments
- F1
Reg. 19(3)(e) inserted (31.10.2023) by The Representation of the People and Recall Petition (Northern Ireland) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/1116), regs. 1(2), 14(2)
- F2
Reg. 19(3A) inserted (16.1.2023) by The Voter Identification Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/1382), regs. 1(3), 73(a) (with reg. 1(6)(7)) (which affecting provision is extended to N.I. (31.10.2023) by The Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 (Commencement No. 4 and Transitional and Saving Provisions) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/1382), regs. 1(2), 13)
- F3
Reg. 19(4)(b) substituted (29.12.2022) by The Assistance with Voting for Persons with Disabilities (Amendments) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/1309), regs. 1(3), 12(1)(a) (with reg. 1(4))
- F4
Reg. 19(4A) inserted (29.12.2022) by The Assistance with Voting for Persons with Disabilities (Amendments) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/1309), regs. 1(3), 12(1)(b) (with reg. 1(4))
- F5
Reg. 19(5A) inserted (16.1.2023) by The Voter Identification Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/1382), regs. 1(3), 73(b) (with reg. 1(6)(7)) (which affecting provision is extended to N.I. (31.10.2023) by The Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 (Commencement No. 4 and Transitional and Saving Provisions) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/1382), regs. 1(2), 13)
Commencement
- I1
Reg. 19 in force at 4.3.2016, see reg. 1