Electoral Law Act (Northern Ireland) 1962

Questions to be put to voters N.I.

32 (1) The presiding officer may, and if required by a candidate or his election or polling agent shall, put to any person applying for a ballot paper at the time of his application, but not afterwards, the following questions, or either of them—

(a) in the case of a person applying as an elector—

(i) Are you the person registered in the register of electors for this election as follows (read the whole entry from the register)?

(ii) Have you already voted on your own behalf either here or elsewhere in this or any other district electoral area at this [F1 local] election?

(b) in the case of a person applying as proxy—

(i) Are you the person whose name appears as A.B. in the list of proxies for this election as entitled to vote as proxy on behalf of C.D.?

(ii) Have you already voted as proxy on behalf of C.D. either here or elsewhere in this or any other district electoral area at this [F1 local] election?

[F2 (1A) In the case of a person applying as an elector, the presiding officer may put the following additional question—

What is your date of birth?.]

[F3 (1B) In the case of a person applying as an elector who is named in the absent voters list in pursuance of paragraph 2(4)(a) of Schedule 2 to the Local Elections (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 as a person entitled to vote by post, the presiding officer may put either or both of the following additional questions—

(a) “Did you apply to vote by post?”;

(b) “Why have you not voted by post?”.

(1C) In the case of a person applying as proxy who is named in the absent voters list in pursuance of paragraph 2(4)(b) of Schedule 2 to that Order as a person entitled to vote by post as proxy, the presiding officer may put either or both of the following additional questions—

(a) “Did you apply to vote by post as proxy?”;

(b) “Why have you not voted by post as proxy?”.]

(2) In the case of a person applying as proxy, the presiding officer may, and if required as mentioned[F2 in paragraph (1)] above shall, put the following additional question:—

Are you the husband [wife], parent, grandparent, brother [sister], child or grandchild of C.D.?

and if that question is not answered in the affirmative the following question:—

Have you at this [F1 local] election already voted in this district electoral area on behalf of two persons of whom you are not the husband [wife], parent, grandparent, brother [sister], child or grandchild?

(3) A ballot paper shall not be delivered to any person required to answer the above questions or any of them unless he has answered the questions or question satisfactorily.

(4) Save as by this rule authorised, no inquiry shall be permitted as to the right of any person to vote.

F1 2001 c. 7

F2 SI 2002/2835

F3 Sch. 5 rule 32(1B)(1C) inserted (1.7.2008) by Electoral Administration Act 2006 (c. 22), ss. 47, 77(2), Sch. 1 para. 64; S.I. 2008/1316, art. 2(3), 5(f)(iii)