{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/representation-of-the-people-act-1983/section-62C",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/representation-of-the-people-act-1983/section-62C.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/62C",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "62C",
  "heading": "Influencing voters at polling booths",
  "text": "(1) A person who—\n(a) is with another person at a polling booth, and\n(b) intends to influence that other person to vote in a particular way or to refrain from voting,\ncommits an offence.\n(2) A person who—\n(a) is near a polling booth when another person is at that booth, and\n(b) intends to influence that other person to vote in a particular way or to refrain from voting,\ncommits an offence.\n(3) For the purposes of this section—\n(a) a “polling booth” is a compartment in a polling station in which voters can mark votes screened from observation;\n(b) assisting a person with voting, in accordance with rule 39 of Schedule 1 or any other legislation, is not influencing that person to vote in a particular way or to refrain from voting;\n(c) a person may be near one polling booth while at a different polling booth.\n(4) A person who commits an offence under this section is liable on summary conviction—\n(a) in England and Wales, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months, to a fine or to both;\n(b) in Scotland or Northern Ireland, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months, to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale or to both.\n(5) This section does not have effect in relation to an election in Scotland or Wales under the local government Act.",
  "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. 62C inserted (2.5.2024) by Ballot Secrecy Act 2023 (c. 12), ss. 1, 3(4); S.I. 2023/1145, reg. 8"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 62C applied (with modifications) (2.5.2024) by S.I. 2012/323, Sch. 4 Table 1 (as amended by The Mayoral and Police and Crime Commissioner Elections, Recall Petitions and Referendums (Ballot Secrecy, Candidates and Undue Influence) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/1141), regs. 1(3), 5(a))"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C2",
      "text": "S. 62C applied (with modifications) (2.5.2024) by S.I. 2012/444, Sch. 4 Table 1 (as amended by The Mayoral and Police and Crime Commissioner Elections, Recall Petitions and Referendums (Ballot Secrecy, Candidates and Undue Influence) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/1141), regs. 1(3), 6(a))"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C3",
      "text": "S. 62C applied (with modifications) (2.5.2024) by S.I. 2012/2031, Sch. 4 Pt. 1 Table 1 (as amended by The Mayoral and Police and Crime Commissioner Elections, Recall Petitions and Referendums (Ballot Secrecy, Candidates and Undue Influence) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/1141), regs. 1(3), 7(2)(a))"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C4",
      "text": "S. 62C applied (with modifications) (2.5.2024) by S.I. 2012/2031, Sch. 8 Table 1 (as amended by The Mayoral and Police and Crime Commissioner Elections, Recall Petitions and Referendums (Ballot Secrecy, Candidates and Undue Influence) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/1141), regs. 1(3), 7(3)(a))"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1983/2/section/62C",
    "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."
}