# The Senedd Cymru (Representation of the People) Order 2025, Rule 72: Death of candidate

Extent: E+W

(1) If at a contested election the returning officer is satisfied before the results of the election are declared that one of the persons named or to be named as a candidate on the ballot paper, whether an individual candidate or party list candidate, has died and as a result of that death the election becomes uncontested, the returning officer must—
(a) countermand notice of the poll, or
(b) if polling has begun, direct that the poll be abandoned.
(2) If at a contested election the returning officer is satisfied before the results of the election is declared that one of the persons named or to be named as a candidate on the ballot paper, whether as an individual candidate or a party list candidate, has died, but notwithstanding that death the election continues to be contested, the notice of poll is not to be countermanded nor is the poll to be abandoned, and the death is to have no effect on the validity of the election and the return of any other candidate at the election.
(3) But, where paragraph (2) applies, the returning officer must take such steps as the returning officer considers reasonable to publicise in the constituency for which the election is held—
(a) the name of the candidate (“C”) and the fact of the C’s death,
(b) whether C was an individual or party list candidate, and
(c) if C was a party list candidate, the name of the registered political party for which C was such a candidate.
(4) In meeting the requirement to publicise the death of C in accordance with paragraph (3), the returning officer must consider, in particular, the placing of notices outside polling stations.
(5) In respect of an election to which paragraph (1) or (2) applies, the following provisions do not apply in relation to the deceased candidate—
(a) rule 41(1)(c) and (d) (admission to polling station),
(b) rule 57(1)(b) to (d) (attendance at count), and
(c) rule 65(5) (forfeiture of deposit), in relation to an individual candidate only.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/wsi/2025/864/schedule/5/rule/72 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/senedd-cymru-representation-of-the-people-order-2025/schedule-5/rule-72
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.