The Local Elections (Principal Areas) (Amendment) Rules 1987

This Statutory Instrument has been made to remove ambiguities from S.I. 1986/2214 and is being issued free of charge to all known recipients of that Statutory Instrument.

Statutory Instruments

1987 No. 261

REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE

The Local Elections (Principal Areas) (Amendment) Rules 1987

Made

25th February 1987

Laid before Parliament

4th March 1987

Coming into force

11th March 1987

In exercise of the powers conferred upon me by section 36(2) of the Representation of the People Act 1983(1), I hereby make the following Rules:—

1.—(1) These Rules may be cited as the Local Elections (Principal Areas) (Amendment) Rules 1987.

(2) These Rules do not extend to Scotland or Northern Ireland.

(3) These Rules shall come into force on the fourteenth day after the day on which they were made, except for the purposes of an election at which the last day for the delivery of nomination papers was on or before that fourteenth day.

2.—(1) The rules in Schedule 2 to the Local Elections (Principal Areas) Rules 1986(2) shall be amended in accordance with the following paragraphs.

(2) In rule 23(5) (notices in polling stations) for the words “Vote for ... ... ... ... candidate(s) only.” there shall be substituted the words “[Vote for no more than ... ... ... ... candidates.] [Vote for one candidate only.]”.

(3) In the Appendix of forms, in the form of a candidate’s consent to nomination, in paragraph (d), before the words “those twelve months” there shall be inserted the words “the whole of”.

(4) In the Appendix of forms, in the form of the front of the ballot paper, for the words “VOTE FOR ... ... ... ... CANDIDATE(S) ONLY” there shall be substituted the words “VOTE FOR NO MORE THAN ... ... ... ... CANDIDATES”.

(5) In the Appendix of forms, in the directions as to printing the ballot paper, for paragraph 2(a) there shall be substituted:

“(a) no word shall be printed on the face except the direction “VOTE FOR NO MORE THAN ... ... ... ... CANDIDATES” or, where only one candidate is to be elected, “VOTE FOR ONE CANDIDATE ONLY” and the particulars of the candidates;”.

(6) In the Appendix of forms, in the form of the declaration of identity, for the words “Vote for ... ... ... ... candidate(s) only.” in paragraph 2 of the instructions to the voter on the back of the form, there shall be substituted the words “[Vote for no more than ... ... ... ... candidates.] [Vote for one candidate only.]”.

(7) In the Appendix of forms, in the form of the elector’s official poll card, for the words “Vote for ... ... ... ... candidate(s) only.” on the back of the card, there shall be substituted the words “[Vote for no more than ... ... ... ... candidates.] [Vote for one candidate only.]”.

(8) In the Appendix of forms, in the form of directions for the guidance of the voters in voting, for the words “Vote for ... ... ... ... candidate(s) only.” in paragraph 4, there shall be substituted “[Vote for no more than ... ... ... ... candidates.] [Vote for one candidate only.]”.

Douglas Hurd

One of Her Majesty’s Principal Secretaries of State

Home Office

25th February 1987

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Rules)

These Rules amend the Local Elections (Principal Areas) Rules 1986 to remove a possible ambiguity from the directions to voters as to the number of candidates for whom they may vote. The original direction was “Vote for ... ... ... ... candidate(s) only”; (the blank space being filled according to the number of vacancies to be filled). The direction was intended to indicate the maximum number of candidates for whom a voter could vote. However, a voter could also construe the direction as indicating the minimum number of candidates for whom he could vote. The substituted direction for use where more than one vacancy is to be filled (“Vote for no more than ... ... ... ... candidates”) removes this ambiguity.

Rule 2(3) amends the form of a candidate’s consent to nomination to make it clear that a candidate whose qualification rests on residence in the area of the local authority during the twelve months before the date of his nomination and the day of election must have been so resident during the whole of that period.

(1)

1983 c. 2.

(2)

S.I. 1986/2214.