The Representation of the People (Amendment) Regulations 1991

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Representation of the People Regulations1986 (which apply in England and Wales) to make provision to give fulleffect to the amendments made by section 1 of the Representation of thePeople Act 1990 (“the 1990 Act”). Under section 2 of that Act, it is to be brought into force by acommencement order made by the Secretary of State.

Section 6 of the Representation of the People Act 1985 (“the 1985 Act”) provides for the right to an absent vote at parliamentaryelections, at local government elections or at make a person eligiblefor an absent vote for an indefinite period if he is no longer residentat his qualifying address or at any other address in the same area; inspite of the reference to“an indefinite periods”, the entitlement expires with the register of electors in relationto which the application was made. Section 1(b) of the 1990 Act insertsan additional subsection into section 6 of the 1985 Act to define whatis the same area for these purposes. The amendment made by theseRegulations requires an applicant to give the address, if any, at whichhe is currently resident and thereby enables the electoral registrationofficer to determine whether or not the new address is in the same areaas the qualifying address.