The Greater London Authority Elections Rules 2007

Rule 9

SCHEDULE 9 REQUIREMENTS FOR NOTICES FOR GUIDANCE OF VOTERS

Interpretation

1.  In this Schedule—

“CMER” means the Constituency Members Election Rules in Schedule 1 or 5;

“LMER” means the London Members Election Rules in Schedule 2 or 6;

“MER” means the Mayoral Election Rules in Schedule 3 or 7.

Requirement relating to all notices

2.  Notices must be provided by the GLRO for the guidance of voters in accordance with the CMER, LMER, MER.

3.  Notices for the guidance of voters to be exhibited—

(a) outside the polling station,

(b) inside the polling station—

(i) in the communal areas, and

(ii) in a voting compartment,

may differ depending on where they are to be displayed.

4.  Notices provided must be of the same description and appearance or in a form to the like effect for use at all polling stations in all Assembly constituencies.

5.  Notices may contain any information providing guidance to voters as to how to exercise their vote in a manner that will ensure that it is regarded as validly cast and can be efficiently processed by the electronic counting system if one is in use, but must not contain—

(a) any material referring to or promoting any candidate or party at the election, other than such name and particulars of such candidate or registered party as may appear on a ballot paper at the election, or

(b) any example or illustration referring to a candidate or a registered party that does not equally refer to all candidates and registered parties (as the case may be) at the election.

Requirements relating to specific notices

6.  Notices for display inside a polling station must contain information explaining—

(a) which election each ballot paper is for,

(b) how many votes a voter has in each election,

(c) the marks to be used, and the manner in which they should be used, in order to ensure that a vote is counted for any candidate or party (as the case may be),

(d) whether or not the voter should fold the ballot paper in two before showing the presiding officer the number and the other unique identifying mark on the back and putting it in the ballot box,

(e) which ballot box the voter is to put their ballot paper into after recording their vote, and

(f) what to do if the voter spoils a ballot paper.

7.  Notices for display inside a polling station may also contain information giving examples or illustrating of any of the kinds of information in paragraph 5 of this Schedule.

8.  Notices for display inside a voting compartment shall contain information explaining—

(a) which election each ballot paper is for,

(b) how many votes a voter has in each election.

9.  Notices for display inside a polling booth may also contain—

(a) the information mentioned in paragraph 6(c) to (f) of this Schedule, and

(b) information giving examples or illustration of any of the information mentioned in paragraph 6(a) to (f) of this Schedule.

10.  All notices shall be easily legible.