STATUTORY INSTRUMENTS
2003 No. 1899
REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE
The Representation of the People (Form of Canvass) (England and Wales) Regulations 2003
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Made |
16th July 2003 | |
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Coming into force |
30th July 2003 | |
Whereas a draft of these Regulations has been laid before and approved by resolution of each House of Parliament;
And whereas the Lord Chancellor has consulted the Electoral Commission about these Regulations in accordance with section 7(1) and (2) of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000[1];
Now, therefore, the Lord Chancellor in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 10(4), 53 and 201(1) and (3) of, and paragraph 10(2) of Schedule 2 to, the Representation of the People Act 1983[2], and now vested in him[3], having regard to the definition of "prescribed" in section 202(1) of that Act, hereby makes the following Regulations:
Citation, commencement, interpretation and extent
1.
- (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Representation of the People (Form of Canvass) (England and Wales) Regulations 2003 and shall come into force on the expiry of 14 days beginning with the day on which they are made.
(2) In these Regulations, "the 2001 Regulations" means the Representation of the People (England and Wales) Regulations 2001[4].
(3) These Regulations do not extend to Scotland or Northern Ireland.
Revocation
2.
Regulation 4 of and Schedule 1 to the Representation of the People (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2002[5] are hereby revoked.
Prescribed forms
3.
The form set out in Part I of the Schedule to these Regulations is hereby prescribed for use for the purposes of the canvass which is required to be conducted by section 10 of the Representation of the People Act 1983.
Amendment of provision about applications
4.
In regulation 26(6) of the 2001 Regulations (applications for registration)[6] for "the Representation of the People (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2002" substitute "the Representation of the People (Form of Canvass) (England and Wales) Regulations 2003".
Signed by authority of the Lord Chancellor
Christopher Leslie
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Department for Constitutional Affairs
16th July 2003
SCHEDULE
FORM OF CANVASS AND FORM OF WORDS ABOUT THE TWO VERSIONS OF THE REGISTER
PART I
Form prescribed for the purposes of section 10(4) of the 1983 Act (as substituted by Schedule 1 to the 2000 Act)
RETURN BY OCCUPIER AS TO RESIDENTS
Your right to vote
You can vote in elections only if your name appears in the register of electors. A new version of the register is published at least once a year following an annual canvass which takes place each autumn.
About this form
The law requires you to give the information requested in this form. So please fill it in, sign it and return it to the electoral registration officer as quickly as possible.
Remember to include the names of all those living in your household who will be eligible to vote - their right to vote is important too.
The form should include all those living in your household on 15th October 2003. But you need not wait until then to fill in the form.
If you do not return this form, your name may be left out of the new version of the register, even though it may already be included in the current one.
With this form there are notes about who is eligible to vote and instructions on how to fill it in.
If there is anything you don't understand, or if you would like more information, contact your electoral registration officer at the address - or on the telephone number - shown on the form. He will be pleased to help.
Checking the register
The new register is published on or shortly before 1st December and you can look at a copy of it at your local council offices. If for some reason you have been missed off the register, or your details have changed since 15th October (for example, because you have changed your address) you should ask immediately to have your name added to the register or to have the register changed. The electoral registration officer will tell you what you have to do.
Would you prefer to vote by post?
Anyone on the electoral register can vote by post. You can have a postal vote for just one election, for all elections in a set period or for all elections indefinitely. Ask the electoral registration officer for further details.
ANNUAL CANVASS OF ELECTORS 2003
You must by law give the information requested in this form.
Be sure to include: -
- British citizens, citizens of other Commonwealth countries or of the Irish Republic.
- Citizens of other Member States of the European Union - you also need to include citizens of States who are expected to become Members of the European Union in 2004. You should therefore include all citizens of the following States:
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Austria |
Finland |
Ireland |
Poland* |
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Belgium |
France |
Latvia* |
Portugal |
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Cyprus* |
Germany |
Lithuania* |
Slovakia* |
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Czech Republic* |
Greece |
Luxembourg |
Slovenia* |
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Denmark |
Hungary* |
Malta* |
Spain |
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Estonia* |
Italy |
Netherlands |
Sweden |
*ast; States which are expected to join the European Union on 1st May 2004
These citizens will be registered as local government electors only (unless they are also Commonwealth citizens such as citizens of Cyprus and Malta, or citizens of the Irish Republic, who can vote in all elections).
- Those living in your household who are 16 and 17 years old - they can vote as soon as they are 18. Please give their dates of birth in Part 4.
- Those who normally live in your household but are away for the time being - for example on holiday, as students, or in hospital (including voluntary patients in psychiatric hospitals).
- Anyone who is away working, unless they are away for more than six months.
- Any other residents, lodgers or guests (but not short-stay visitors) in your household, whether this is a private address, a hostel or a club.
Don't include: -
- Foreign nationals - except for citizens of Member States of the European Union (including citizens of States which are expected to become Members of the European Union in 2004) - see list of States above.
- Anybody who will be leaving your address before 15th October 2003.
Jury Service
Please put a tick in Part 5 for anyone who is eligible to vote and who will be 70 or over on 15th October 2003. Please also give the dates of birth of anyone who will reach the age of 70 before 15th October 2004.
People aged 70 and over cannot sit on a jury. Those who may not be able to sit on a jury for other reasons will be able to say so if they receive a jury summons.
European Parliamentary Elections, June 2004
If you are a citizen of a Member State of the European Union (or a citizen of a State which is expected to become a Member of the European Union in 2004), you may be able to vote in the European Parliamentary Elections in June 2004 in this country if you wish, but you will need to fill in another form to allow you to do so. Ask the electoral registration officer for more details.
The two versions of the register
The electoral registration officer makes and keeps two versions of the electoral register - the full register and the edited register.
Please put a tick in Part 6 against anyone who wishes their name and address to be excluded from the edited register; you must ask each of them their preference before completing this form.
The full register
The full register lists everyone who is entitled to vote and includes their address. You can check it by calling at the council offices or at some local libraries. Only certain people and organisations can have copies of the full register, and they can only use it for specified purposes. The main use of the full register is for elections and referendums, but it can also be used for other purposes such as the prevention and detection of crime and for checking your identity when you have applied for credit. Details of others who can have copies of the full register and what they can use it for are given in the Representation of the People (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2002 (SI 2002 No.1871). It is a criminal offence not to comply with the regulations. For example, it is a criminal offence either to pass the full register on to anyone or to use it for any purpose, except as allowed by the regulations. These regulations are available on the internet at www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk/stat.htm or you can buy a copy from The Stationery Office Ltd.
The edited register
The edited register leaves out the names and addresses of people who have asked for them to be excluded from that version of the register. The edited register can be bought by anyone who asks for a copy and they may use it for any purpose.
How to return this form
First, please check that you have read and completed the form. Then return it in the envelope provided or fold the form up as the instructions tell you. Otherwise you can send it or take it to your local Council's electoral services office.
Click to view Electoral Registration Form
Part II
Form of words about the two versions of the register
The two versions of the register
The electoral registration officer makes and keeps two versions of the electoral register - the full register and the edited register.
Please say in your application if you wish your name and address to be excluded from the edited register.
The full register
The full register lists everyone who is entitled to vote and includes their address. You can check it by calling at the council offices or at some local libraries. Only certain people and organisations can have copies of the full register, and they can only use it for specified purposes. The main use of the full register is for elections and referendums, but it can also be used for other purposes such as the prevention and detection of crime and for checking your identity when you have applied for credit. Details of others who can have copies of the full register and what they can use it for are given in the Representation of the People (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2002 (SI 2002 No.1871). It is a criminal offence not to comply with the regulations. For example, it is a criminal offence either to pass the full register on to anyone or to use it for any purpose, except as allowed by the regulations. These regulations are available on the internet at www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk/stat.htm or you can buy a copy from The Stationery Office Ltd.
The edited register
The edited register leaves out the names and addresses of people who have asked for them to be excluded from that version of the register. The edited register can be bought by anyone who asks for a copy and they may use it for any purpose.
EXPLANATORY NOTE
(This note is not part of the Order)
Under section 10 of the Representation of the People Act 1983 (as substituted by Schedule 1 to the Representation of the People Act 2000) each registration officer is required to conduct an annual canvass (by reference to residence on 15th October in that year) in his registration area to ascertain the persons who are entitled to be or remain registered as parliamentary or local government electors in that area. These Regulations specify a revised form for the purposes of that canvass, which takes account of the fact that ten new States are likely to accede to the European Union in 2004 and makes provision for their citizens residing in a registration area to be included in the register of local government electors for that area.
In addition, Regulation 4 and Part II of the Schedule to the Regulations prescribe a new form of words for use as part of the application for registration form provided by registration officers. The Regulations revoke the provisions of the Representation of the People (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2002, which had previously prescribed the form of canvass and the form of words to be included with the canvass form about the two versions of the register.
Notes:
[1]
2000 c. 41.back
[2]
1983 c. 2; section 10 was substituted by Schedule 1 to the Representation of the People Act 2000 (c. 2); section 201(3) was inserted by Schedule 1 to that Act.back
[3]
Transfer of Functions (Transport, Local Government and the Regions) Order 2002, S.I. 2002/2626, article 11.back
[4]
S.I. 2001/341, amended by S.I. 2001/1700, S.I. 2002/881 and S.I. 2002/1871.back
[5]
S.I. 2002/1871.back
[6]
Regulation 26(6) was inserted by S.I. 2002/1871, regulation 8(6).back
ISBN
0 11 046964 X
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