Representation of the People Act 1990

1990 CHAPTER 32

An Act to provide for a person no longer resident at his qualifying address or at any other address in the same area to be eligible for an absent vote for an indefinite period at Parliamentary elections in the United Kingdom and local government elections in Great Britain.

[26th July 1990]

Be it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

1 Additional ground for granting absent vote for an indefinite period

In section 6 of the Representation of the [1985 c. 50.] People Act 1985 (absent vote for an indefinite period at parliamentary elections in the United Kingdom and local government elections in Great Britain)—

(a) in subsection (2), after paragraph (a) there is inserted—

“(aa) if he is no longer resident at his qualifying address or at any other address in the same area,”, and

(b) after that subsection there is inserted—

“(2A) For the purposes of subsection (2)(aa) above, two addresses are in the same area only if—

(a) both addresses are in the same parliamentary constituency in Greater London or in the same parliamentary constituency in a metropolitan county in England,

(b) both addresses are in the same electoral division of a non-metropolitan county in England and, if either address is in a parish, both are in the same parish,

(c) both addresses are in the same electoral division of a county in Wales and in the same community,

(d) both addresses are in the same electoral division in Scotland, or

(e) both addresses are in the same ward in Northern Ireland.”.

2 Short title, commencement and extent

(1) This Act may be cited as the Representation of the People Act 1990 and shall be included among the Acts that may be cited as the Representation of the People Acts.

(2) This Act shall come into force on such day as the Secretary of State may appoint by order made by statutory instrument, and different days may be appointed for different purposes.

(3) This Act extends to Northern Ireland.