SCHEDULE 2SCOTTISH PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION RULES

PART 2STAGES COMMON TO CONTESTED AND UNCONTESTED ELECTIONS

Notice of election

Nomination

Right to attend nomination13

1

Except for the purpose of delivering a constituency nomination paper or of assisting the CRO, no person is entitled to attend the proceedings during the time for delivery of constituency nomination papers or for making objections to them unless that person is—

a

a person standing nominated as a candidate for return as a constituency member;

b

the election agent of such a person;

c

a person who has issued a certificate under rule 7(1)(a) in relation to such a candidate; or

d

a person who is entitled to attend by virtue of section 6A or 6B of the 2000 Political Parties Act64 (representatives of the Electoral Commission),

but where a candidate acts as the candidate’s own election agent the candidate may name one other person who shall be entitled to attend in place of the candidate’s election agent.

2

The right to attend conferred by paragraph (1) includes the right to inspect and to object to the validity of any constituency nomination paper.

3

Paragraph (2) does not apply to a person mentioned in paragraph (1)(d).

4

Except for the purpose of delivering an individual nomination paper or regional list or of assisting the RRO, no person is entitled to attend the proceedings during the time for delivery of individual nomination papers or regional lists or for making objections to them unless that person is—

a

a person standing nominated as an individual candidate for return as a regional member;

b

the election agent of such a person;

c

a candidate included on a party’s regional list;

d

the election agent or nominating officer of a party which has submitted a regional list; or

e

a person who is entitled to attend by virtue of section 6A or 6B of the 2000 Political Parties Act,

but where an individual candidate acts as the candidate’s own election agent, or a candidate on a party’s regional list acts as election agent of that party in relation to that list, the candidate may name one other person who shall be entitled to attend in place of the election agent for that individual candidate or, as the case may be, party.

5

The right conferred by paragraph (4) includes the right to inspect and to object to the validity of any individual nomination paper or any regional list (including the nomination of any candidate on such a list).

6

Paragraph (5) does not apply to a person mentioned in paragraph (4)(e).

7

One other person chosen by the candidate is entitled to be present at the delivery of the candidate’s nomination under paragraph (1) or (4), and may afterwards, so long as the candidate stands nominated, attend the proceedings referred to in paragraph (1) or (4) as the case may be, but without any such right as is conferred by paragraph (2) or (5).