Electoral Law Act (Northern Ireland) 1962

Countermand or abandonment of poll on death of candidate N.I.

61 (1) If at a contested election proof is given to the returning officer's satisfaction before the result of the election is declared that one of the persons named or to be named as candidate in the ballot papers has died, then the returning officer shall—

(a) countermand notice of the poll, or

(b) if polling has begun, direct that the poll be abandoned,

and the proceedings with reference to the election shall be commenced afresh as if a casual vacancy had occurred and as if the day on which the returning officer is satisfied that a candidate has died is the day on which the casual vacancy is deemed to have occurred; accordingly, the timetable in rule 1(3) shall apply to the fresh proceedings except that no fresh nomination shall be necessary in the case of a person shown in the statement of persons nominated as standing nominated.

[F1 (1A) Neither the countermand of the poll at the local election nor the direction that that poll be abandoned affects the poll at the parliamentary election.]

[F1 (2) If the poll at the local election is abandoned because of a candidate's death—

(a) no further ballot papers at that election must be delivered in any polling station;

(b) at the close of the poll for the parliamentary election the presiding officer must comply with the requirements of rule 41 (as amended by the Schedule to the Elections Act 2001) as if the poll at the local election had not been abandoned;

(c) the returning officer must dispose of ballot papers used at the local election and other documents in his possession as he is required to do on the completion in due course of the counting of the votes,

but this is subject to paragraph (2A).

(2A) In a case falling within paragraph (2)—

(a) a ballot paper account for the local election need not be prepared or verified;

(b) the returning officer, having separated the ballot papers relating to the parliamentary election, must take no step or further step for the counting of the ballot papers used at the local election or of the votes;

(c) the returning officer must seal up all of those ballot papers whether the votes on them have been counted or not;

(d) it is not necessary to seal up counted and rejected ballot papers in separate packets.]

(3) The provisions of these rules as to the inspection, production, retention and destruction of ballot papers and other documents relating to a poll at an election apply to any such documents relating to a poll abandoned by reason of a candidate's death with the following modifications—

(a) ballot papers on which the votes were neither counted nor rejected shall be treated as counted ballot papers; and

(b) no order shall be made for the production or inspection of any ballot papers or for the opening of a sealed packet of counterfoils or certificates as to employment on duty on the day of the poll unless the order is made by a court with reference to a prosecution.

F1 2001 c. 7