Referendums (Scotland) Act 2020

Referendum agents S

19 Referendum agents S

(1) A permitted participant may, for any local government area, appoint an individual (who may be the responsible person) to be the permitted participant's agent (“referendum agent”).

(2) If a permitted participant appoints a referendum agent for a local government area, the responsible person must give the counting officer for that area notification of the name and address of—

(a) the permitted participant, and

(b) the referendum agent.

(3) The notification must be—

(a) in writing,

(b) signed by the responsible person, and

(c) given before noon on the twenty-fifth day before the date of the referendum.

(4) For the purpose of subsection (3)(c), the following days are to be disregarded—

(a) a Saturday or Sunday,

(b) Christmas Eve, Christmas Day or Easter Monday,

(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.

(5) The duties imposed on a responsible person by this section may be discharged by any person authorised in writing by the responsible person.

(6) A counting officer who receives a notification under subsection (2) must, as soon as practicable, publish notice of—

(a) the name of the permitted participant, and

(b) the name and address of the referendum agent.

(7) If—

(a) a permitted participant revokes the appointment of a referendum agent or a referendum agent dies, and

(b) the permitted participant has notified the counting officer of the appointment of a polling or counting agent under rule 14 of the conduct rules,

the permitted participant must, as soon as practicable, appoint another referendum agent under subsection (1).

(8) Where subsection (7) applies, the notification under subsection (2) must be made as soon as practicable after the appointment of the new referendum agent (and subsection (3)(c) does not apply to that notification).