{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/regional-assembly-and-local-government-referendums-order-2004/schedule-1/paragraph-7",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/regional-assembly-and-local-government-referendums-order-2004/schedule-1/paragraph-7.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/2004/1962",
  "legislation_title": "The Regional Assembly and Local Government Referendums Order 2004",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/regional-assembly-and-local-government-referendums-order-2004",
  "path": "schedule/1/paragraph/7",
  "kind": "paragraph",
  "number": "7",
  "heading": "The official mark",
  "text": "(1) Every ballot paper shall have an official mark, which shall consist of—\n(a) a watermark;\n(b) feint printing which appears to lie behind the text of the ballot paper;\n(c) heat sensitive marks on the paper; or\n(d) distinctive paper.\n(2) The official mark shall be kept secret, and an interval of not less than five years shall intervene between the use of the same official mark at a referendum for the same referendum area or part of that area.\n(3) At combined polls the official mark for the referendums may be the same.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [
    {
      "type": "words substituted",
      "affecting": "uksi/2011/2085",
      "affecting_title": "The Postal Services Act 2011 (Consequential Modifications and Amendments) Order 2011"
    },
    {
      "type": "words substituted",
      "affecting": "uksi/2010/1172",
      "affecting_title": "The Local Education Authorities and Children’s Services Authorities (Integration of Functions) (Local and Subordinate Legislation) Order 2010"
    }
  ],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2004/1962/schedule/1/paragraph/7",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T05:21:20.497923+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."
}