Vote Bundle Text (911016-02)

Amendments proposed to the Electoral Fraud (northern Ireland) Bill - continued	House of Commons

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Mr Desmond Browne

Clause 3, page 3, line 47, after 'rules)', insert—

'(a) rule 24 (postal ballot papers) is renumbered as paragraph (1) of that rule,

(b) after paragraph (1) of rule 24 (as so renumbered) there is inserted—

"(2) The prescribed form shall include provision for the form to be signed and, in the case of an elector, for stating his date of birth.", and

Mr Desmond Browne

Clause 3, page 3, line 48, after 'count)', insert—

'(i) in paragraph (2), the words from "it is returned" to the end are to be sub-paragraph (a) of that paragraph, and after "authenticated" there is inserted ", and"

(b) in the case of an elector, that declaration of identity states the date of birth of the elector and the returning officer is satisfied that the date stated corresponds with the date supplied to the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland as the date of the elector's birth pursuant to section 10(4A)(b), 10A(1A)(b) or 13A(2A)(b) of this Act.", and

(ii)'.

Lady Hermon
Lembit Öpik

Clause 4, page 4, line 26, at end insert—

'(4A) The information contained in paragraphs (a) to (d) of subsection (4) above shall also be stored electronically on a computer chip incorporated into the electoral identity card provided for by this section.'.

Lady Hermon
Lembit Öpik

Clause 4, page 4, line 35, at end insert—

'(8) The Chief Electoral Officer of Northern Ireland shall use his best endeavours to ensure that—

(a) within 5 years from the commencement of this section two thirds of those appearing on the electoral register hold electoral identity cards; and

(b) within 10 years from the commencement of this section that all those appearing on the electoral register hold electoral identity cards.'.

Mr Eddie McGrady

Clause 4, page 4, line 37, after 'documents)', insert 'sub-paragraphs (b) and (c) are deleted and'.

Lady Hermon
Lembit Öpik

Clause 4, page 4, line 38, at end insert—

'(4) In Schedule 1 (parliamentary election rules), in rule 37(1E) (specified documents), leave out sub-paragraphs (c) to (g).

(5) Subsection 4 shall come into force 18 months after the coming into force of the rest of this section.'.

Mr Eddie McGrady

Clause 5, page 5, line 4, leave out 'Paragraphs (1A) to (1G)' and insert 'Paragraph (1A) and paragraphs (1D) to (1G)'.

Mr Eddie McGrady

Clause 6, page 5, line 12, leave out 'or date of birth' and insert ', date of birth or national insurance number'.

Mr Desmond Browne

Clause 6, page 5, line 25, after 'made', insert 'to him'.

Mr Eddie McGrady

Clause 6, page 5, line 26, after first 'birth', insert 'or national insurance number'.

Mr Eddie McGrady

Clause 6, page 5, line 26, after second 'birth', insert 'or national insurance number'.

Mr Peter Robinson

Clause 6, page 5, line 32, at end add—

'13 Multiple registration

'(1) Any person who—

(a) registers as an elector in more than one parliamentary constituency; or

(b) registers as an elector in more than one local government area,

is guilty of an offence.

(2) A person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable on summary conviction to—

(a) imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months; or

(b) a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale,

or to both.'.

Mr Peter Robinson
Mr Eddie McGrady

Clause 6, page 5, line 32, at end add—

'13F Multiple voting

'(1) Any person who votes as an elector otherwise than by proxy either—

(a) more than once at any local government election; or

(b) in more than one electoral area at an ordinary election of councillors for a local government area; or

(c) in any electoral area, where there is in force an appointment of a person to vote as his proxy at the election in some other electoral area

is guilty of an offence.

(2) A person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable on summary conviction to—

(a) imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months; or

(b) a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale,

or to both.'.

Lembit Öpik
Lady Hermon

Clause 7, page 6, line 2, leave out from 'appoint' to end of line 4.

NEW CLAUSES

Voters to produce specified documents

Mr Peter Robinson
Mr Crispin Blunt
Mr John Hayes

NC1

To move the following Clause:—

'(1) The Elections (Northern Ireland) Act 1985 (c. 2) is amended as follows.

(2) In section 1 (voters to produce specified documents) subsection (2), at the end of inserted sub-paragraph (1E)(a), there is inserted "and the requirement under this rule shall be satisfied by the production of the plastic photographic card which either is, or forms the counterpart of, a licence to drive a motor vehicle."

(3) In section 1 (voters to produce specified documents) subsection (2), at the end of inserted sub-paragrpah (1E)(d), there is inserted—

"(da) a senior citizen's concessionary fare pass issued by the Northern Ireland Department for Regional Development.".'.

Activities of polling agents

Mr Peter Robinson

NC2

To move the following Clause:—

'(1) Schedule 1 to the Representation of the People Act 1983 (parliamentary elections rules) is amended as follows.

(2) In rule 35 (questions to be put to voters), in paragraph (4), at the end, there is added "; and no candidate's polling agent present in the polling station shall be provided with, gather or disseminate any information as to which elector or electors have or have not voted during the hours of polling".'.

Procedure on close of poll

Mr Peter Robinson
Mr Eddie McGrady

NC3

To move the following Clause:—

'(1) Schedule 1 to the Representation of the People Act 1983 (parliamentary elections rules) is amended as follows.

(2) In rule 43 (procedure on close of poll), after paragraph (2), there is inserted—

Multiple voting at local government elections

Mr Peter Robinson

NC4

To move the following Clause:—

'Section 1(3) of the Elected Authorities (Northern Ireland) Act 1989 (c.3) is amended by inserting at the end—

" or (c) in more than one district at any local government election".'.

Requirement for signature before issue of ballot paper

Mr Crispin Blunt
Mr John Hayes

NC5

To move the following Clause:—

'(1) Schedule 1 to the Representation of the People Act 1983 (parliamentary election rules) is amended as follows.

(2) After rule 35 there is inserted—

"35A. (1) A person applying as an elector shall sign his name before he is issued with a ballot paper.

(2) The presiding officer may dispense with the requirement in paragraph (1) above in relation to any applicant if he is satisfied that it is not reasonably practicable for that person to sign in a consistent and distinctive way because of any incapacity of his.".'.

Voters: specified documents

Mr Crispin Blunt
Mr John Hayes

NC6

To move the following Clause:—

'(1) From 1st April 2003, paragraph (1E) of rule 37 of the parliamentary election rules applicable to elections in Northern Ireland, imported into schedule 1 of the Representation of the People Act 1983 by section 1(2) of the Elections (Northern Ireland) Act 1985 (c.2), is amended in accordance with sub-section (2).

(2) Sub-paragraphs (a) to (g) are omitted and the following are inserted:

"(a) the plastic photographic card which is, or forms the counterpart of, a current licence to drive a motor vehicle;

(b) a current passport issued by the Government of the United Kingdom or by the Government of the Republic of Ireland;

(d) a current electoral identity card issued under section 13C of this Act.".'.

General availability of list of persons who have voted

Mr Crispin Blunt
Mr John Hayes

NC7

To move the following Clause:—

'(1) Schedule 1 to the Representation of the People Act 1983 (parliamentary election rules) is amended as follows.

(2) After rule 37 there is inserted—

"37A. During the hours of polling the presiding officer shall maintain a list of those persons on the register who have voted and shall make the list available from time to time on request to a relevant candidate, election agent, or polling agent.".'.

Registration: notification of multiple registrations

Mr Crispin Blunt
Mr John Hayes
Mr Peter Robinson

NC8

To move the following Clause:—

'(1) In section 10 of the Representation of the People Act 1983 (maintenance of registers: annual canvass) there is inserted—

"(5A). The information to be obtained by the use of such a form for the purposes of a canvass in Northern Ireland shall include an indication of any other address at which the person is registered."

(2) In section 10A (maintenance of the registers: registration of electors) and in section 13A (alteration of registers) of the 1983 Act there is inserted—

"( ). An application for registration in respect of an address in Northern Ireland shall include an indication of any other address at which the person is registered."

(3) Any person knowlingly giving false information in response to any requirement of this section is guilty of an offence with liability on summary conviction to—

(a) imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months; or

(b) a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale,

or to both.'.

Deadlines for election petitions

Lady Hermon
Lembit Öpik

NC9

To move the following Clause:—

'(1) The 1983 Act shall be amended as follows.

(2) In section 122, "six weeks" shall be substituted for any reference to "21 days".

(3) In section 129, "six weeks" shall be substituted for any reference to "21 days".'.

Mr Peter Robinson
Mr Eddie McGrady

Title, line 5, after 'signatures', insert ', National Insurance numbers'.