The Electoral Registration Pilot Scheme (England and Wales) Order 2017

Citation, commencement, duration and extent

1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the Electoral Registration Pilot Scheme (England and Wales) Order 2017 and comes into force on 30th June 2017.

(2) This Order ceases to have effect on 6th July 2018.

(3) This Order extends to England and Wales.

Interpretation

2.  In this Order—

“2001 Regulations” means the Representation of the People (England and Wales) Regulations 2001(1);

“annual canvass” means the annual canvass required by section 9D(1) of the Representation of the People Act 1983 Act(2);

“specified area” means—

(a)

in relation to England, the area of a district or London borough specified in Part 1 of the Schedule; and

(b)

in relation to Wales, the area of a county borough specified in Part 2 of the Schedule.

Period of pilot scheme

3.  Articles 4 to 6 have effect in relation to a specified area for the period beginning with 1st July 2017 and ending with 29th June 2018.

Modification of the Representation of the People Act 1983 Act and the Representation of the People (England and Wales) Regulations 2001

4.  Section 9D(3) of the Representation of the People Act 1983 and regulations 32ZA and 32ZB of the 2001 Regulations do not apply in relation to the annual canvass.

Annual canvass

5.—(1) The registration officer must conduct the annual canvass in accordance with paragraph (2).

(2) The registration officer must attempt to make contact with a person at each residential address in the specified area at least once during the period beginning with 1st July 2017 and ending with 2nd February 2018.

(3) The registration officer may comply with the requirement in paragraph (2) by any means the registration officer thinks appropriate, including—

(a) by sending a canvass form, which may be the form designed by the Electoral Commission under regulation 32ZA(2) of the 2001 Regulations;

(b) by visiting the address;

(c) by telephone;

(d) by electronic means.

Specified date for the Electoral Commission to report on the pilot scheme

6.  The date specified for the purposes of section 9(7)(b) of the Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 (date by which the Electoral Commission must give copy of their report) is 29th June 2018.

Chris Skidmore

Minister for the Constitution

Cabinet Office

26th April 2017