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Make
it an offence to campaign in prescribed areas around polling
stations on |
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the day of certain elections;
and for connected purposes. |
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Be
it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty,
by and with the advice and |
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consent of the Lords Spiritual
and Temporal, and Commons, in this present |
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Parliament assembled,
and by the authority of the same, as follows:— |
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1 |
Offence
of campaigning within a prescribed area |
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(1) |
It shall be an offence
to engage in campaigning activity within a prescribed |
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area around a polling station
on the day of a relevant election at any time |
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during the period in which
the polling station is open. |
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(2) |
In this Act, “campaigning
activity” means— |
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(a) |
the promotion or distribution
of any literature associated with election |
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candidates, political parties
or associated organisations; |
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(b) |
the use of audio equipment,
whether stationary or mobile, for the |
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propagation of messages
relating to an election; or |
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(c) |
oral communication for
the purpose of eliciting voting intentions or |
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influencing the casting
of a vote. |
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(3) |
The “prescribed
area” referred to in subsection (1) shall be an area represented
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by a circle with a radius
of 250 metres from the main entrance of a polling |
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(4) |
For the purposes of subsection
(1) a “relevant election” is— |
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(a) |
a Parliamentary election; |
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(b) |
a European Parliamentary
election; |
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(c) |
an election to the National
Assembly for Wales; |
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(d) |
an election to the Northern
Ireland Assembly; |
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(e) |
a local government election
in England or Northern Ireland; |
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(f) |
a mayoral election; or |
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(5) |
A person guilty of an
offence under subsection (1) shall be liable, on summary |
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conviction, to a fine not
exceeding level 5 on the standard scale. |
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“European Parliamentary
election” shall have the same meaning as in |
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section 27(1) of the Representation
of the People Act 1985 (c. 50); |
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“local government
election” shall have the same meaning, in respect of |
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England, as in section
203(1) of the Representation of the People Act |
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1983 (c. 2) and, in respect
of Northern Ireland, as in the Electoral Law |
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Act (Northern Ireland)
1962 (c. 14); |
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“mayoral election”
means an election conducted under the Local |
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Authorities (Mayoral Elections)
(England and Wales) Regulations 2002; |
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“polling station”
shall include polling place, within the meaning given by |
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section 16 of the Electoral
Administration Act 2006 (c. 22); |
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“referendum”
means a referendum conducted under the Local |
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Authorities (Conduct of
Referendums) (England) Regulations 2001. |
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3 |
Short
title, commencement and extent |
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(1) |
This Act may be cited as
the Polling Stations (Regulation) Act 2007. |
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(2) |
This Act shall come into
force at the end of the period of six months beginning |
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with the day on which it
is passed. |
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(3) |
This Act extends to England,
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. |
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