Rule 41 Admission to polling stationI1

England and Wales

(1)

The presiding officer must exclude all persons from the polling station except—

(a)

voters allotted to the polling station,

(b)

persons under the age of 16 who accompany voters to the polling station,

(c)

the individual and party list candidates,

(d)

the election agents of individual candidates, or in relation to any registered political party standing nominated, the election agent of such a party in respect of the list it has submitted,

(e)

the polling agents appointed to attend at the polling station,

(f)

the clerks appointed to attend at the polling station,

(g)

the returning officer or members of the returning officer’s staff,

(h)

persons who are entitled to attend by virtue of any of section 6A to 6D of the 2000 Political Parties Act^f1 (representatives of the Electoral Commission and accredited observers),

(i)

the constables on duty, and

(j)

the companions of voters with disabilities.

(2)

The presiding officer must regulate the total number of voters and persons under the age of 16 who accompany them who are admitted to the polling station at the same time.

(3)

Not more than one party list candidate from the same party list submitted by a registered political party may be admitted at the same time to a polling station.

(4)

Not more than one polling agent may be admitted at the same time to a polling station on behalf of the same individual candidate or on behalf of the same registered political party.

(5)

A constable voting in person may do so either—

(a)

at the polling station allotted under these rules, or

(b)

at another polling station, if the constable produces and surrenders a certificate in form 2 set out in Welsh and English in Schedule 10, or a form to the like effect, signed by an officer of police of or above the rank of inspector.

(6)

A person employed by the returning officer, if voting in person, may do so either—

(a)

at the polling station allotted under these rules, or

(b)

at another polling station, if the person produces and surrenders a certificate in form 2 set out in Welsh and English in Schedule 10, or a form to the like effect, signed by the returning officer.

(7)

A certificate surrendered under paragraph (5) or (6) must immediately be cancelled.

(8)

In this rule, a reference to a constable includes a reference to a person designated as a community support officer or community support volunteer under section 38 of the Police Reform Act 2002 (police powers for civilian staff and volunteers).

Annotations

Commencement

I1: Sch. 5 rule 41 in force at 18.7.2025, see art. 1(2)

Footnotes

f1: Sections 6A to 6D were inserted by section 29 of the Electoral Administration Act 2006 (c. 22). Section 6A was amended by paragraph 10 of Schedule 10 to Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 (c. 13); paragraph 3 of Schedule 6 to the Recall of MPs Act 2015 (c. 25) and S.I. 2007/1388. Section 6C was amended by paragraph 5 of Schedule 2 to the Senedd and Elections (Wales) Act 2020 (anaw 1). Section 6D was amended by paragraph 6 of Schedule 2 to the Senedd and Elections (Wales) Act 2020.