The National Assembly for Wales (Representation of the People) Order 2007

General requirements for applications

1.—(1) Applications under article 8, 9, 11 or 12 must state—

(a) the applicant’s full name;

(b) the address in respect of which the applicant is registered or has applied to be (or is treated as having applied to be) registered in the register except in the case of an application under article 12(4) and (7);

(c) in the case of such an application, the proxy’s address together with the name of the elector for whom he will act as proxy and the elector’s address for the purposes of sub-paragraph (b);

(d) in the case of a person applying to vote by post, the address to which the ballot paper should be sent;

(e) in the case of an application to vote by proxy, the grounds on which the elector claims to be entitled to an absent vote;

(f) in the case of a person who is unable to provide a signature, the reasons for his request for a waiver of any requirement under article 8, 9 or 12 to provide a signature and the name and address of any person who has assisted him to complete his application; and

(g) where the applicant has, or has applied for, an anonymous entry, that fact.

(2) The application shall be made in writing and be dated.

(3) Where an application is required to contain a signature and date of birth, the information must be set out in a manner that is sufficiently clear and unambiguous as to be capable of electronic scanning into the record by configuring the information as follows—

(a) the signature shall appear against a background of white unlined paper of at least five centimetres long and two centimetres high; and

(b) the applicant’s date of birth shall be set out numerically configured in the sequence of date, month, year namely [d][d] [m][m] [y][y][y][y].

(4) Where the application contains a request that the registration officer dispense with a requirement for a signature, sub-paragraph (3)(a) shall not apply.

(5) (a) An application under article 8(1), 11(6) or 12(4)(a) which is made for an indefinite period or the period specified in the application must state that it is so made;

(b) an application under article 9(1), (2), (3), 11(7) or 12(7) which is made for a particular Assembly election must state that it is so made,

but, where the poll for an Assembly election falls on the same day as the poll at another election, the same application may be used for both elections.

(6) The registration officer may satisfy himself—

(a) that an application under articles 8, 9, 11 or 12 meets any requirements that it has been signed by the applicant and states his date of birth by referring to any signature and date of birth—

(i) previously provided by the applicant to the registration officer or the returning officer; or

(ii) previously provided by the applicant to the county or county borough council, or registrar of births and deaths which the registration officer is authorised to inspect for the purposes of his registration duties; and

(b) as to whether the applicant is unable to provide a signature or a consistent signature due to disability or inability to read or write.

(7) (a) Where—

(i) in the case of an application to vote by post under articles 8(1), (7) or 9(1) the addresses stated in accordance with sub-paragraph (1)(b) and (d) are different; or

(ii) in the case of an application by a proxy to vote by post under article 12(4), the proxy’s address stated in accordance with sub-paragraph (1)(c) and the address stated in accordance with sub-paragraph (1)(d) are different,

the application must set out why the applicant’s circumstances will be or are likely to be such that he requires the ballot paper to be sent to the address stated in accordance with sub-paragraph (1)(d).

(b) This sub-paragraph does not apply where an applicant has, or has applied for, an anonymous entry.

(8) (a) An application under—

(i) article 9(3)(a) by a person shown as voting by post in the record kept under Article 8; or

(ii) article 12(7) by a person shown as voting by post in the record kept under Article 12 (6),

for his ballot paper to be sent to a different address from that shown in the record shall set out why the applicant’s circumstances will be or are likely to be such that he requires his ballot paper to be sent to that address.

(b) this paragraph does not apply where the applicant has, or has applied for, an anonymous entry.

(9) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (1)(b), the address in respect of which the applicant is or has applied to be (or is treated as having applied to be) registered includes—

(a) in the case of a service voter, the address given in the service declaration in accordance with section 16(d) of the 1983 Act;

(b) in the case of a person to whom section 7 of the 1983 Act applies (mental patients who are not detained offenders), the address of the mental hospital or the address shown on the declaration of local connection in accordance with section 7B(3)(d) of the 1983 Act;

(c) in the case of a person to whom section 7A of the 1983 Act applies (person remanded in custody), the address of the place at which he is detained or the address shown on the declaration of local connection in accordance with section 7B(3)(d) of the 1983 Act; and

(d) in the case of a homeless person, the address shown on the declaration of local connection in accordance with section 7B(3)(d) of the 1983 Act.