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PART 4ABSENT VOTERS

Additional requirements for applications on grounds of blindness or other disability

57.—(1) An application under section 6(2)(b)(1) of the 1985 Act shall specify the disability by reason of which it is made.

(2) Subject to paragraph (3), such an application shall be attested and signed by [F1a person who is registered in the register and who is]—

(a)a registered medical practitioner;

(b)a nurse registered on the register maintained by the Nursing and Midwifery Council under article 5 of the Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001(2) by virtue of qualifications in nursing;

[F2(ba)a social worker registered under the principal part of the register maintained by the Northern Ireland Social Care Council under section 3 of the Health and Personal Services Act (Northern Ireland) 2001;]

(c)a Christian Science practitioner;

(d)the person registered under the Registered Homes (Northern Ireland) Order 1992(3) as carrying on a residential care home within the meaning of article 3 of that Order or a nursing home within the meaning of article 16 of that Order, where the applicant states that he is resident in such a home;

(e)the person in charge of residential accommodation provided under article 15 of the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1972(4), where the applicant states that he is resident in such accommodation; or

(f)the manager or other person in charge of premises forming one of a group of premises provided for persons of pensionable age or persons with a disability for which there is a resident manager or other person in charge, where the applicant states that he resides in such premises.

(3) The person attesting the application shall state—

(a)his name and address and the qualification by virtue of which he attests the application;

[F3(ab)that he is registered in the register;]

(b)that, to the best of his knowledge and belief, the applicant has the disability specified in the application and that he cannot reasonably be expected to go in person to his allotted polling station or to vote unaided there by reason of that disability; and

(c)that, to the best of his knowledge and belief, the disability specified in the application is likely to continue either indefinitely or for a period specified by the person attesting the application.

(4) Paragraphs (2) to (4) shall not apply where—

(a)the application is based on the applicant’s blindness and the applicant is registered as a blind person by [F4a Health and Social Care trust] which is specified in the application; or

[F5(b)the application states that the applicant is in receipt of—

(i)the higher rate of attendance allowance (payable under section 65 of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992); or

(ii)the highest rate of the care component or the higher rate of the mobility component (or both) of the disability living allowance (payable under section 72 and section 73 of that Act) [F6; or

(iii)armed forces independence payment under the Armed Forces and Reserve Forces (Compensation Scheme) Order 2011,]

because of the disability specified in the application.]

(5) The fact that an applicant is registered with [F7a Health and Social Care trust] as a blind person shall be deemed sufficient evidence that he is eligible for an absent vote on the grounds set out in section 6(2)(b) of the 1985 Act.

Textual Amendments

(1)

Section 6(2)(b) was amended by paragraph 134 of Schedule 1 to the 2006 Act (c.22).

(3)

S.I. 1992/3204 (N.I. 20); the definitions of “residential care home” and “nursing home” have been amended by Schedule 9 to S.I. 1995/755 (N.I.2).