40. The 1962 Act is amended as follows.
41. After section 122(1) insert—
122A.—(1) Subsections (2) and (3) apply to any document which by virtue of this Act is required or authorised to be given to voters or displayed in any place for the purposes of a local election.
(2) The person who is required or authorised to give or display the document must, as he or she thinks appropriate, give or display or otherwise make available in such form as he or she thinks appropriate—
(a)the document in Braille;
(b)the document in languages other than English;
(c)graphical representations of the information contained in the document;
(d)other means of making the information contained in the document accessible to persons who might not otherwise have reasonable access to the information.
(3) For the purposes of subsection (2)(b) any question as to whether a person is to give or display or otherwise make available a document in a language other than English is to be decided by the returning officer.
(4) The person required or authorised to give or display the document must also, as he or she thinks appropriate, make available the information contained in the document in such audible form as that person thinks appropriate.
(5) Subsections (2) and (4) do not apply to—
(a)the nomination paper; or
(b)the ballot paper.
(6) The returning officer may cause to be displayed at every polling station in the election an enlarged sample copy of the ballot paper.
(7) The sample copy mentioned in subsection (6)—
(a)must have printed the words “Vote for as many candidates as you wish in order of preference” both at the top and immediately below the list of candidates; and
(b)may include a translation of those words into such other languages as the returning officer thinks appropriate.
(8) The returning officer must provide at every polling station in the election an enlarged hand-held sample copy of the ballot paper for the assistance of voters who are partially sighted.
(9) The sample copy mentioned in subsection (8) must be clearly marked as a specimen provided only for the guidance of voters.”.
42. In section 129(b)(2) (computation of time) omit “, Maundy Thursday”.
43.—(1) Section 130(3) (interpretation) is amended as follows.
(2) In subsection (1) after the entry for “statutory provisions” insert—
““universal service provider” has the same meaning as in the Postal Services Act 2000(4);”.
(3) For subsection (3) substitute—
“(3) In Parts 6, 9 and 10 and Schedules 8 and 9 the expression “candidate” in relation to a local election (except where the context otherwise requires) is to be construed in accordance with subsection (3A).
(3A) A person (“P”) becomes a candidate at a local election—
(a)on the last day for publication of the notice of the election if on or before that day P is declared by himself or herself or by others to be a candidate at the election, and
(b)otherwise, on the day on which P is so declared by himself or herself or by others or on which P is nominated as a candidate at the election (whichever is the earlier).”.
The references to the Northern Ireland Parliament in section 122 were substituted with references to the Northern Ireland Assembly by S.I. 1973/2163.
Section 129 was amended by S.I. 1987/168.
Section 130 was amended by the Electoral Law Act (Northern Ireland) 1968 (c.20) (N.I.); the Electoral Law Act (Northern Ireland) 1969 (c.26) (N.I.); S.I. 1972/1264 (N.I. 13); S.I. 1985/454; S.I. 1987/168; Schedule 3 to the Elected Authorities (Northern Ireland) Act 1989 (c. 3); S.I. 1995/1948; S.I. 2001/417; and, in relation to the definition of “Minister” and “Ministry”, the functions of the Minister and Ministry of Home Affairs were transferred to the Secretary of State by S.I. 1973/2163.
2000 c. 26; section 4 of that Act makes provision for the meaning of universal service provider.