{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/representation-of-the-people-act-1983/section-46",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/representation-of-the-people-act-1983/section-46.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1983/2",
  "legislation_title": "Representation of the People Act 1983",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/representation-of-the-people-act-1983",
  "path": "section/46",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "46",
  "heading": "Further provision as to local election voting in England.",
  "text": "(1) At a local government election for any electoral area no person shall as an elector and no person shall as proxy for any one elector—\n(a) give more than one vote for any one candidate; or\n(b) give more votes in all than the total number of councillors to be elected for the electoral area in England.\nbut this subsection does not apply in relation to Authority elections (where the votes allowed to be given are as specified in the applicable provisions of section 4, 10 or 16 of the 1999 Act).\n(2) No person is subject to any incapacity to vote at a local government election in England by reason of his being or acting as returning officer at that election.",
  "extent": "W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "S. 17(1) substituted (29.1.2001 for certain purposes and 16.2.2001 otherwise) by 2000 c. 2, s. 8(a), Sch. 1 para. 10; S.I. 2001/116, art. 2(1)(2) (with art. 2(4))"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 46(1) inserted (6.5.2022) by Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021 (asc 1), s. 175(6)(c), Sch. 2 para. 2(9)(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in s. 46(1) inserted (14.12.1999) by 1999 c. 29, s. 17, Sch. 3 para. 8 (with Sch. 12 para. 9(1)); S.I. 1999/3376, art. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words in s. 46(2) inserted (6.5.2022) by Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021 (asc 1), s. 175(6)(c), Sch. 2 para. 2(9)(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in s. 46 heading inserted (6.5.2022) by Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021 (asc 1), s. 175(6)(c), Sch. 2 para. 2(9)(c)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 46 applied (with modifications) (27.3.2007) by The Local Authorities (Mayoral Elections) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007 (S.I. 2007/1024), Sch. 2 Table 1"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C2",
      "text": "S. 46 modified (18.6.2026) by S.I. 2017/67, Sch. 2 para. 1(9) (as inserted by The Combined Authorities (Mayoral Elections) (Amendment) Order 2026 (S.I. 2026/652), arts. 1(1)(c), 4(2)(a) (with art. 1(2)))"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1983/2/section/46",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-11-07T03:33:48.049414+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."
}