Rule 3
1.—(1) These Rules may be cited as the Ordinary Elections Rules.
(2) These Rules, as read with the Constituency Members Election Rules, the London Members Election Rules or the Mayoral Election Rules, as the circumstances require, apply in relation to every ordinary election and have effect notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any of those other Rules.
(3) In these Rules—
“candidate” means, as the circumstances require, a candidate at any of the following—
an election for the return of the Mayor;
an election for the return of the London members;
an election for the return of a constituency member;
“CMER” means the Constituency Members Election Rules;
“election” means an ordinary election;
“LMER” means the London Members Election Rules;
“MER” means the Mayoral Election Rules,
and unless the contrary intention appears, other expressions used in these Rules and in the CMER, the LMER or the MER have the same meaning in these Rules as they have in those Rules.
2.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), the ballot papers at an ordinary election shall be of different colours according to whether the election is to be held under the CMER, the LMER or the MER.
(2) Where, at an ordinary election at which two (or more) polls are to be taken together, the votes are to be counted electronically, the GLRO may determine that two or more ballot papers shall appear on the same sheet of paper.
(3) At an ordinary election—
(a)the ballot paper at the election held under the CMER shall include the heading “ELECTION OF [insert name of constituency] CONSTITUENCY MEMBER”;
(b)the ballot paper at the election held under the LMER shall include the heading “ELECTION OF LONDON MEMBER”; and
(c)the ballot paper at the election held under the MER shall include the heading “ELECTION OF MAYOR”.
(4) In a case to which paragraph (2) applies the headings required by paragraph (3)(a) and (b) shall appear consecutively below the heading “ELECTION OF THE LONDON ASSEMBLY”.
3. The notices of poll at an ordinary election shall include the heading “GREATER LONDON AUTHORITY ELECTION”.
4. Where the polls at an ordinary election are taken together—
(a)the proceedings on the issue and receipt of postal ballot papers in respect of each election may be taken together; and
(b)a joint declaration of identity shall be issued in the appropriate form.
5. Combined poll cards shall be issued in the appropriate form.
6.—(1) The ballot papers shall, as the GLRO may decide, be placed—
(a)in a single ballot box; or
(b)in separate ballot boxes according to whether the votes given on them are cast in the election under the CMER, the LMER or the MER.
(2) All notices shall be in the appropriate form.
7. The same copy of the register of electors may be used for each election and one mark may be placed in that register to denote that a ballot paper has been received in respect of each election; except that, where a ballot paper has been issued in respect of one election only, a different mark shall be placed in the register so as to identify the election in respect of which the ballot paper was issued.
8. The same list may be used for each election and, where it is so used, an entry in that list shall be taken to mean that the ballot papers were so marked in respect of each election, unless the list identifies the election at which the ballot paper was so marked.
9. The same list may be used for each election and, where it is so used, an entry in that list shall be taken to mean that the votes were so given in respect of each election, unless the list identifies the election at which the vote was so given.
10. The same list may be used for each election and, where it is so used, an entry in that list shall be taken to mean that tendered ballot papers were marked in respect of each election, unless the list identifies the election at which a tendered ballot paper was marked.
11. Where the GLRO determines, in accordance with rule 2(2), that ballot papers shall be combined, ballot paper accounts shall also be combined.
12.—(1) In any case to which rule 6(1)(b) applies, the ballot boxes from each polling station shall be opened together, and the ballot papers counted and verified together.
(2) The hours between 5 in the afternoon and 10 on the following morning may be excluded only with the prior consent of the GLRO.
13.—(1) Each CRO shall inform the proper officer of the Authority of the result of the election for the return of the constituency member for the constituency.
(2) The GLRO shall inform the proper officer of the Authority of the result of the elections for the return of the Mayor and the London members.
14. The countermand of a poll or the direction that a poll be abandoned shall have effect only in relation to the election for the return of a constituency member or, as the case may be, the election for the return of the Mayor, to which the countermand or direction relates.
15. Subsection (1) of section 39 (local elections void etc. in England and Wales) of the 1983 Act(1) shall apply in respect of any vacancy arising in an Assembly constituency in the circumstances mentioned in section 4(10) of the 1999 Act as if for the reference to the returning officer there were substituted a reference to the CRO.
See Schedule 5 to the Greater London Authority Elections Rules 2000.