The Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 (Commencement No.4 and Consequential Provision) Order 2014

Made: 13th February 2014

Coming into force in accordance with article 1(2)

In accordance with section 27(7) of that Act a draft of this instrument has been laid before and approved by resolution of each House of Parliament.

Citation and commencement

1

• (1) This Order may be cited as the Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 (Commencement No. 4 and Consequential Provision) Order 2014.

• (2) This Order comes into force as follows—

• (a) this article and article 2 come into force immediately on the making of this Order;

• (b) article 3 comes into force on 22nd May 2014.

Commencement of section 19 of the Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013

2

Section 19 of the Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 (voters waiting at polling station at close of poll) comes into force on 22nd May 2014.

Consequential provision

3

• (1) In Schedule 1 to the Representation of the People Act 1983[^f00002] (parliamentary election rules) in rule 45 after paragraph (1B)[^f00003] insert—

(1C) A postal ballot paper or postal voting statement that reaches the returning officer or a polling station on or after the close of the poll is treated for the purposes of paragraph (1B) as reaching that officer or polling station before the close of the poll if it is delivered by a person who, at the close of the poll, is in the polling station, or in a queue outside the polling station, for the purpose of returning it.

Signed

Signed by authority of the Lord President of the Council

Greg Clark — Minister of State — Cabinet Office — 13th February 2014

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Order)

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This Order brings into force section 19 of the Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 (c.6). That section provides for voters queuing at a polling station for the purposes of voting at close of poll to be issued with ballot papers and vote despite the time of close of poll having passed. Section 19 has UK wide extent.

Article 3 makes further, consequential, provision to allow persons queuing at a polling station at close of poll in order to return a postal ballot paper or postal voting statement, to return it despite the time of close of poll having passed. The amendment made by article 3(1) has effect in England, Wales, and Scotland only.

Section 19 and article 3 come into force on 22nd May 2014.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 2013 c.6. Section 25(1) defines “the Minister” as the Lord President of the Council or the Secretary of State.

[^f00002]: 1983 c.2.

[^f00003]: Rule 45 paragraph (1B) was inserted by Schedule 6 to the Representation of the People Act 2000 (c.2) and amended by Schedules 1 and 2 to the Electoral Administration Act 2006 (c.22).