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| given up to and including |
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| New Amendments handed in are marked thus  |
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| Amendments which will comply with the required notice period at their next appearance
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| | This document includes all amendments tabled to date and includes any |
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| | withdrawn amendments at the end. The amendments have been arranged in the |
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| | order in which they relate to the Bill. |
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| | A Clause (NC1) (Prompt to register as an overseas elector) — (Philip Davies) Brought |
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| | up, and read the first time as follows— |
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| | (1) | If the registration officer receives information that leads him or her to believe that |
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| | a registered elector has moved, or is going to move, outside the United Kingdom, |
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| | the registration officer shall contact that elector to prompt him or her to register |
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| | |
| | (2) | The Electoral Commission may issue guidance for contact under subsection (1).” |
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| | Question proposed, That the Clause be read a second time. |
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| | To move the following Clause— |
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| | | “Registration as an overseas elector and donations to registered political |
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| | |
| | (1) | The Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 is amended as |
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| | (2) | In section 54 (permissible donors), in paragraph (2)(a), for “registered in an |
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| | electoral register” substitute— |
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| | | “resident in the United Kingdom and registered in an electoral |
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| | (aa) | an overseas elector and registered in an electoral register at the |
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| | To move the following Clause— |
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| | | “Report on awareness of how to participate in elections as an overseas elector |
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| | (1) | The Minister for the Cabinet Office or the Secretary of State must publish a report |
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| | on levels of awareness of how to participate in parliamentary elections as a UK |
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| | (a) | persons entitled to vote as an overseas elector under the provisions of this |
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| | (b) | overseas electors in general. |
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| | (2) | The report shall consider awareness of— |
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| | (a) | the law governing entitlement to qualify and vote as an overseas elector, |
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| | (b) | the processes of registering and voting, and |
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| | (c) | other matters as the Minister for the Cabinet Office or the Secretary of |
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| | (3) | The report shall set out any steps the Minister for the Cabinet Office or the |
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| | Secretary of State intends to take to increase awareness of— |
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| | (a) | how to participate in elections as an overseas elector, and |
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| | (b) | the provisions of this Act.” |
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| | To move the following Clause— |
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| | | “Report on effects of extension of franchise |
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| | (1) | The Minister for the Cabinet Office or the Secretary of State must publish a report |
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| | assessing the likely effects of the extension of the franchise in section 1 of this |
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| | Act and any measures necessary in response to those effects. |
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| | (2) | The report must contain assessments of— |
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| | (a) | how many British citizens currently resident overseas are eligible to |
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| | register as overseas electors, and how many are likely to be eligible if the |
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| | 15-year time limits under sections 1(3)(c) and 1(4)(a) of the |
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| | Representation of the People Act 1985 were removed; |
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| | (b) | any possible increased risk of electoral fraud by those purporting to be |
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| | overseas electors related to the provisions in this Act; |
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| | (c) | whether current election timetables are of sufficient duration to enable |
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| | the full participation of any increased numbers of overseas electors.” |
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| | To move the following Clause— |
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| | | “Report on the representation of overseas electors |
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| | (1) | The Minister for the Cabinet Office or the Secretary of State shall, within 12 |
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| | months of this section coming into force, lay before Parliament a report on the |
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| | representation of overseas electors. |
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| | (2) | That report shall include— |
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| | (a) | consideration of how well overseas electors are represented by their MPs |
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| | and any related consequences of the provisions of this Act, |
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| | (b) | an assessment of any additional demands that may be placed on MPs and |
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| | their resources as a consequence of the provisions of this Act, |
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| | (c) | any plans the Government has to monitor the representation of overseas |
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| | (d) | an assessment of alternative models of representation of overseas |
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| | electors, including the creation of overseas constituencies.” |
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| | To move the following Clause— |
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| | | “Review of absent vote arrangements |
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| | (1) | The Minister for the Cabinet Office or the Secretary of State shall— |
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| | (a) | review absent voting arrangements to consider whether they allow |
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| | sufficient time for overseas electors to participate adequately in |
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| | parliamentary elections, taking into account the likely effects of the |
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| | (b) | consult the Electoral Commission, local authorities and the Association |
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| | of Electoral Administrators as part of the review; and |
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| | (c) | lay before Parliament a report on the review and any steps to be taken as |
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| | To move the following Clause— |
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| | | “Report on postal voting arrangements for overseas electors |
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| | (1) | The Minister for the Cabinet Office or the Secretary of State shall publish a report |
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| | on postal voting arrangements for overseas electors. |
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| | (2) | The report shall set out— |
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| | (a) | any barriers to the participation of overseas electors in parliamentary |
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| | (i) | the availability of pre-paid postal services for returning ballot |
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| | (ii) | the financial resources of returning officers, and |
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| | (iii) | capacity in the specialist print and production markets to meet |
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| | absent vote and ballot paper requirements; |
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| | (b) | whether any such barriers are likely to become more significant or |
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| | widespread as a result of the extension of the franchise in the provisions |
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| | of this Act, including in particular countries and regions; |
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| | (c) | any steps to be taken to make it easier for overseas electors to participate |
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| | in parliamentary elections. |
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| | (3) | The report shall, in particular, consider the effectiveness and cost of the |
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| | International Business Response Licence for postal votes and any associated |
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| | implications of the provisions of this Act.” |
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| | To move the following Clause— |
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| | | “Report on overseas electors in other national elections |
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| | The Minister for the Cabinet Office or the Secretary of State must publish a report |
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| | on qualification requirements for non-resident citizens to participate in national |
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| | elections in other countries.” |
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| | To move the following Clause— |
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| | | “Evaluation of the effects of the Act |
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| | (1) | The Minister for the Cabinet Office or the Secretary of State must, within 12 |
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| | months of the provisions of this Act coming into force, lay before Parliament a |
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| | report evaluating the effects of the Act and the extent to which it has met its |
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| | (2) | That report must include assessments of the effects on numbers of overseas |
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| | electors registered in each parliamentary constituency.” |
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| | To move the following Clause— |
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| | | “Closing date for electoral registration applications by overseas electors |
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| | (1) | The Representation of the People (England and Wales) Regulations 2001 are |
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| | (2) | In regulation 56, after paragraph (7), insert— |
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| | “(8) | This regulation does not apply to applications by overseas electors.” |
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| | (3) | After regulation 56 insert— |
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| | “56A | Closing date for electoral registration applications by overseas |
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| | (1) | The provisions in this regulation relate to applications to vote by post or |
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| | proxy by overseas electors in parliamentary elections. |
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| | (2) | An application by an overseas elector under paragraph 3(6) or (7) of |
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| | Schedule 4 shall be disregarded for the purposes of a particular |
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| | parliamentary election and an application under paragraph 4(3) of |
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| | Schedule 4 shall be refused if it is received by the registration officer after |
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| | 5 p.m. on the eighteenth day before the date of the poll at that election. |
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| | (3) | An application under paragraph 3(1) or (2), or 6(7) or 7(4) of Schedule 4 |
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| | shall be disregarded for the purposes of a particular parliamentary |
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| | election if it is received by the registration officer after 5 p.m. on the |
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| | thirteenth day before the date of the poll at that election. |
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| | (4) | An application under paragraph 4(1) or (2) or 6(8) of Schedule 4 shall be |
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| | refused if it is received by the registration officer after 5 p.m. on the |
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| | thirteenth day before the date of the poll at the election for which it is |
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| | (5) | An application under paragraph 7(7) of Schedule 4 shall be refused if it |
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| | is received by the registration officer after 5 p.m. on the eighteenth day |
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| | before the date of the poll at the election for which it is made. |
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| | (6) | An application under— |
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| | (a) | paragraph 3(5)(a) of Schedule 4 by an elector to be removed |
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| | from the record kept under paragraph 3(4) of that Schedule, or |
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| | (b) | paragraph 7(9)(a) of Schedule 4 by a proxy to be removed from |
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| | the record kept under paragraph 7(6) of that Schedule, |
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| | | and a notice under paragraph 6(10) of that Schedule by an elector |
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| | cancelling a proxy’s appointment shall be disregarded for the purposes of |
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| | a particular parliamentary election if it is received by the registration |
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| | (i) | 5 p.m. on the eighteenth day before the date of the poll |
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| | at that election in the case of an application by an elector |
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| | who is entitled to vote by post to be removed from the |
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| | record kept under paragraph 3(4) of Schedule 4, and |
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| | (ii) | 5 p.m. on the thirteenth day before the date of the poll at |
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| | that election in any other case. |
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| | (7) | In computing a period of days for the purposes of this regulation, the |
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| | same rules shall apply as in regulation 56.” |
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| | (4) | The Representation of the People (Scotland) Regulations 2001 are amended as |
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| | (5) | In regulation 56, after paragraph (7), insert— |
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| | “(8) | This regulation does not apply to applications by overseas electors.” |
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| | (6) | After regulation 56 insert— |
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| | “56A | Closing date for electoral registration applications by overseas |
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| | (1) | The provisions in this regulation relate to applications to vote by post or |
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| | proxy by overseas electors in parliamentary elections. |
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| | (2) | An application by an overseas elector under paragraph 3(6) or (7) of |
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| | Schedule 4 shall be disregarded for the purposes of a particular |
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| | parliamentary election and an application under paragraph 4(3) of |
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| | Schedule 4 shall be refused if it is received by the registration officer after |
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| | 5 p.m. on the eighteenth day before the date of the poll at that election. |
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| | (3) | An application under paragraph 3(1) or (2), or 6(7) or 7(4) of Schedule 4 |
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| | shall be disregarded for the purposes of a particular parliamentary |
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| | election if it is received by the registration officer after 5 p.m. on the |
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| | thirteenth day before the date of the poll at that election. |
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| | (4) | An application under paragraph 4(1) or (2) or 6(8) of Schedule 4 shall be |
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| | refused if it is received by the registration officer after 5 p.m. on the |
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| | thirteenth day before the date of the poll at the election for which it is |
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| | |
| | (5) | An application under paragraph 7(7) of Schedule 4 shall be refused if it |
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| | is received by the registration officer after 5 p.m. on the eighteenth day |
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| | before the date of the poll at the election for which it is made. |
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| | (6) | An application under— |
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| | (a) | paragraph 3(5)(a) of Schedule 4 by an elector to be removed |
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| | from the record kept under paragraph 3(4) of that Schedule, or |
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| | (b) | paragraph 7(9)(a) of Schedule 4 by a proxy to be removed from |
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| | the record kept under paragraph 7(6) of that Schedule, |
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| | | and a notice under paragraph 6(10) of that Schedule by an elector |
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| | cancelling a proxy’s appointment shall be disregarded for the purposes of |
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| | a particular parliamentary election if it is received by the registration |
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| | (i) | 5 p.m. on the eighteenth day before the date of the poll |
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| | at that election in the case of an application by an elector |
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| | who is entitled to vote by post to be removed from the |
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| | record kept under paragraph 3(4) of Schedule 4, and |
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| | (ii) | 5 p.m. on the thirteenth day before the date of the poll at |
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| | that election in any other case. |
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| | (7) | In computing a period of days for the purposes of this regulation, the |
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| | same rules shall apply as in regulation 56.” |
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| | (7) | The Representation of the People (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2001 are |
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| | (8) | In regulation 57, after paragraph (6), insert— |
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| | “(7) | This regulation does not apply to applications by overseas electors.” |
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| | (9) | After regulation 57 insert— |
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| | “57A | Closing date for electoral registration applications by overseas |
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| | (1) | The provisions in this regulation relate to applications to vote by post or |
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| | proxy by overseas electors in parliamentary elections. |
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| | (2) | An application under section 6(1) or (5), 8(6) or 9(4) of the 1985 Act shall |
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| | be disregarded for the purposes of a particular election if it is received by |
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| | the registration officer after 5 p.m. on the twenty-first day before the day |
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| | of the poll at that election. |
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| | (3) | Subject to paragraph (4) below, an application under section 7(1) or (2), |
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| | 8(7) or 9(7) or (8) of the 1985 Act shall be refused if it is received by the |
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| | registration officer after 5 p.m. on the twenty-first day before the day of |
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| | the poll at the election for which is made. |
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| | (4) | Paragraph (3) above shall not apply to an application which satisfies the |
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| | requirements of either paragraphs (6) and (7) or paragraph (8) of |
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| | regulation 55 above; and such an application shall be refused if it is |
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| | received by the registration officer after 5 p.m. on the thirteenth day |
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| | before the day of the poll at the election for which it is made. |
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| | (5) | An application under— |
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| | (a) | section 6(4)(a) of the 1985 Act by an elector to be removed from |
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| | the record kept under section 6(3) of that Act, or |
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| | (b) | section 9(11)(a) of that Act by a proxy to be removed from the |
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| | record kept under section 9(6) of that Act, |
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| | | and a notice under section 8(9) of that Act by an elector cancelling a |
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| | proxy’s appointment shall be disregarded for the purposes of a particular |
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| | election if it is received by the registration officer after 5 p.m. on the |
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| | twenty-first day before the date of the poll at that election. |
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| | (6) | In computing a period of days for the purposes of this regulation, the |
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| | same rules shall apply as in regulation 57.” |
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| | To move the following Clause— |
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| | | “Offence of registering to vote as overseas elector in more than one |
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| | (1) | A person commits an offence if he or she is an overseas elector and is |
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| | simultaneously registered to vote in more than one constituency. |
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