{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/representation-of-the-people-act-1983/section-62A",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/representation-of-the-people-act-1983/section-62A.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/62A",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "62A",
  "heading": "Offences relating to applications for postal and proxy votes",
  "text": "(1) A person commits an offence if he—\n(a) engages in an act specified in subsection (2) at a parliamentary or local government election, and\n(b) intends, by doing so, to deprive another of an opportunity to vote or to make for himself or another a gain of a vote to which he or the other is not otherwise entitled or a gain of money or property.\n(2) These are the acts—\n(a) applying for a postal or proxy vote as some other person (whether that other person is living or dead or is a fictitious person);\n(b) otherwise making a false statement in, or in connection with, an application for a postal or proxy vote;\n(c) inducing the registration officer or returning officer to send a postal ballot paper or any communication relating to a postal or proxy vote to an address which has not been agreed to by the person entitled to the vote;\n(d) causing a communication relating to a postal or proxy vote or containing a postal ballot paper not to be delivered to the intended recipient.\n(3) In subsection (1)(b), property includes any description of property.\n(4) In subsection (2) a reference to a postal vote or a postal ballot paper includes a reference to a proxy postal vote or a proxy postal ballot paper (as the case may be).\n(5) A person who commits an offence under subsection (1) or who aids, abets, counsels or procures the commission of such an offence is guilty of a corrupt practice.\n(6) This section does not apply to anything done at a local government election in Scotland.",
  "extent": null,
  "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": "S. 62A inserted (11.9.2006) by Electoral Administration Act 2006 (c. 22), ss. 40, 77; S.I. 2006/1972, art. 3, Sch. 1 para. 7 (subject to art. 4, Sch. 2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 62A modified (E.W.) (2.1.2007 for specific purposes) by The Local Elections (Parishes and Communities) (England and Wales) Rules 2006 (S.I. 2006/3305), rules 1(2)(3), 6"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C2",
      "text": "S. 62A applied (with modifications) (E.) (27.7.2007) by The Local Authorities (Conduct of Referendums) (England) Regulations 2007 (S.I. 2007/2089), regs. 8, 11, 13, {Sch. 4 Table 1}"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C3",
      "text": "S. 62A applied (with modifications) (W.) (24.7.2008) by The Local Authorities (Conduct of Referendums) (Wales) Regulations 2008 (S.I. 2008/1848), reg. 8, {Sch. 4 para. 1 Table 1}"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C4",
      "text": "S. 62A applied (with modifications) by S.I. 2001/2599, art. 3, Sch. 1 (as substituted (10.2.2009) by S.I. 2009/256, arts. 1(2), 3, Sch. 1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C5",
      "text": "S. 62A applied (with modifications) (E.) (9.2.2012) by The Local Authorities (Conduct of Referendums)(England) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/323), reg. 1, Sch. 4 para. 1"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C6",
      "text": "S. 62A applied (with modifications) (E.) (18.2.2012) by The Local Authorities (Conduct of Referendums) (Council Tax Increases) (England) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/444), reg. 1, Sch. 4 para. 1 (with reg. 27)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C7",
      "text": "S. 62A applied (with modifications) (3.8.2012) by The Neighbourhood Planning (Referendums) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/2031), regs. 1, 8, 12, 13, Sch. 4 Pt. 1"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C8",
      "text": "S. 62A applied in part (with modifications) by The Neighbourhood Planning (Referendums) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/2031), reg. 17, Sch. 8 Table 1 (as inserted (E.W.) (6.4.2013) by S.I. 2013/798, regs. 1, 7, Sch. 3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C9",
      "text": "S. 62A applied (with modifications) (W.) (17.12.2021) by The Local Elections (Communities) (Wales) Rules 2021 (S.I. 2021/1460), rules 1, 6(1) (with rule 2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C10",
      "text": "S. 62A(1)-(5) applied (with modifications) (26.2.2016) by The European Union Referendum (Conduct) Regulations 2016 (S.I. 2016/219), reg. 1, Sch. 1 para. 15 (with Sch. 1 para. 1(3))"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1983/2/section/62A",
    "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."
}