New Clause 1
Political Parties and Elections Bill
4:30 pm
Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield, Conservative)
I remind the Committee that with this it is convenient to consider the following: amendment (a), in proposed new subsection (4A)(c) to section 10, leave out sub-paragraph (ii).
Amendment (b), in proposed new subsection (1A)(c) to section 10A, leave out sub-paragraph (ii).
Amendment (c), in proposed new subsection (2A)(c) to section 13A, leave out sub-paragraph (ii).
New clause 2—Registration of British citizens overseas—
‘In section 2 of the Representation of the People Act 1985 (c. 50) (registration of British citizens overseas), after paragraph (3)(b) there is inserted—
“(ba) the declarant’s passport number or a statement that the declarant does not have one.”’.
New clause 7—Opting in to the edited electoral register—
‘(1) The Representation of the People (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2001 (SI 2001/341) is amended as follows:
(2) In regulation 93 (edited version of the register), for subsection (2) there is substituted—
“The edited register shall include the name and address of any elector whose details are included in the full register only if a request has been expressly made in the form referred to in section 10(4) of the 1983 Act or in accordance with Regulation 26 above by or on behalf of that elector for his or her name and address to be included on the edited register.”’.
New clause 8—Personal identifiers at the ballot box—
‘(1) The Representation of the People Act 1983 (“the 1983 Act”) Schedule 1 (Parliamentary Election Rules) shall be amended as follows.
(2) The following shall be inserted after Rule 27(1) (ballot paper to be delivered to voter on application)—
“(1A) A ballot paper shall not be delivered to a voter unless he has produced a specified document to the presiding officer or a clerk.
(1B) Where a voter produces a specified document, the presiding officer or clerk to whom it is produced shall deliver a ballot paper to the voter unless the officer or clerk decides that the document raises a reasonable doubt at to whether the voter is the elector or proxy he represents himself to be.
(1C) Where a voter produces a specified document to a presiding officer and he so decides, he shall refuse to deliver a ballot paper to the voter.
(1D) Where a voter produces a specified document to a clerk and he so decides, he shall refer the matter and produce the document to the presiding officer who shall proceed as if the document has been produced to him in the first place.
(1E) For the purposes of this rule a specified document is one which for the time being falls within the following list—
(a) a current passport issued by the government of the United Kingdom or by the government of the Republic of Ireland;
(b) a current licence to drive a motor vehicle granted under Part III of the Road Traffic Act 1972 (or Part III of the Road Traffic Act 1988) (including a provisional licence), or under Article 12 of the Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1981 or any corresponding enactment for the time being in force;
(c) a credit or debit card with signature;
(d) HM forces identification card;
(e) a medical card with signature on it;
(f) a local authority valid bus pass with signature on it;
(g) a valid book for the payment of allowances, benefits or pensions if it has a signature in it;
(h) a tenant book if it has a signature in it;
(i) a certified copy, or extract, of an entry of marriage issued by a Registrar General, where the voter producing the copy of an extract is a woman married within the period of two years ending with the day of the poll concerned.
In sub-paragraph (i) above “a Registrar General” means the Registrar General for England and Wales, the Registrar General of Births, Deaths and Marriages for Scotland or the Register General for Northern Ireland,
(1F) Regulations may make provision varying the list in paragraph (1E) above (whether by adding or deleting documents or varying any description of document).
(1G) References in this rule to producing a document are to producing it for inspection.”.
(3) The following shall be inserted after Rule 38(1) (incapacitated voter’s vote to be marked on ballot paper on application)—
“(1A) Paragraphs (1A) to (1G) of Rule 37 shall apply in the case of a voter who applies under paragraph (1) above as they apply in the case of a voter who applies under Rule 37(1), but reading references to delivering a ballot paper to a voter as references to causing a voter’s vote to be marked on a ballot paper.”.
(4) The following shall be inserted after Rule 39(2) (blind voter to be allowed assistance of companion on application)—
“(2A) Paragraphs (1A) to (1G) of Rule 37 shall apply in the case of a voter who applies under paragraph (1) above as they apply in the case of a voter who applies under Rule 37(1), but reading references to delivering a ballot paper to a voter as references to granting a voter’s application.”.
(5) The following shall be inserted after Rule 40(1) (person entitled to mark tendered ballot paper after another has voted)—
“(1A) Paragraphs (1A) to (1G) of Rule 37 shall apply in the case of a person who seeks to mark a tendered ballot under paragraph (1) above as they apply in the case of a voter who applies for a ballot paper under Rule 37(1).
(1B) Paragraph (1C) below applies where a presiding officer refuses to deliver a ballot paper to a person under paragraph (1C) of Rule 37 (including that paragraph as applied by Rule 38 or 39 or this Rule).
(1C) The person shall, on satisfactorily answering the questions permitted by law to be asked at the poll, nevertheless be entitled, subject to the following provisions of this Rule, to mark a ballot paper (in these Rules referred to as “a tendered ballot paper”) in the same manner as any other voter.”.
(6) The following shall be inserted after Rule 40(4)—
“(5) A person who marks a tendered ballot paper under paragraph (1C) above shall sign the paper, unless it was marked after an application was refused under Rule 38 or 39.
(6) A paper which is required to be signed under paragraph (5) above and is not so signed shall be void.”’.