Local Electoral Administration and Registration Services (Scotland) Act 2006

21 Absent vote applications: provision of personal identifiers

(1) This section applies to an application under any of the paragraphs of Schedule 4 (absent voting in Great Britain) to the 2000 Act specified in subsection (2) if the application is made for the purposes only of local government elections in Scotland or a particular local government election in Scotland.

(2) Those paragraphs are—

(a) paragraph 3(1) or (2) (applications to vote by post or proxy at elections for a definite or indefinite period),

(b) paragraph 4(1) or (2) (applications to vote by post or proxy at a particular election),

(c) paragraph 7(4) (applications to vote by post as proxy).

(3) A person making such an application (“the applicant”) must include in the application the applicant’s signature and date of birth.

(4) The registration officer must not grant any such application which does not include those details.

(5) However, the registration officer may, in relation to any such application, dispense with the requirement under subsection (3) to include the applicant’s signature if the officer is satisfied that the applicant is unable—

(a) to provide a signature because—

(i) of any disability the applicant has, or

(ii) the applicant is unable to read or write, or

(b) to sign in a consistent and distinctive way because of any such disability or inability.

(6) The registration officer must keep a record in relation to persons granted applications to which this section applies showing—

(a) their dates of birth, and

(b) except in cases where the officer has, under subsection (5), dispensed with the requirement for a signature, their signatures.

(7) The record kept under subsection (6) must be retained by the registration officer for such period as the Scottish Ministers may by regulations prescribe.