SCHEDULE 3Conduct rules

Publication of notice of the referendum

1

1

The counting officer must publish notice of the referendum not later than the twenty-fifth day before the date of the referendum.

2

For the purposes of paragraph (1), the following days are to be disregarded—

a

a Saturday or Sunday,

b

Christmas Eve or Christmas Day,

c

a day which is a bank holiday in Scotland under the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971,

d

a day appointed for public thanksgiving or mourning.

3

The notice must—

a

be in the form prescribed, and

b

set out—

i

the date of the referendum,

ii

the hours of polling,

iii

a description of who is entitled to vote at each polling station, and

iv

the situation of each polling station in the local government area.

4

The notice must also state the day by which—

a

applications to register to vote,

b

applications to vote by post or by proxy,

c

other applications and notices about postal or proxy voting,

must reach the registration officer in order that they may be effective for the referendum.

5

As soon as practicable after publishing the notice under paragraph (1), the counting officer must give a copy of it to each of the referendum agents appointed for the area.