Electoral Administration Bill

moved Amendment No. 102A:"Page 42, line 29, at end insert ““, following consultation with and agreement from all registered political parties (as defined in paragraph 6A of Schedule 1 to the Representation of the People Act 1983 (c. 2) (parliamentary elections rules))””" The noble Baroness said: In moving Amendment No. 102A I shall speak also to Amendment No. 102B and to the Question that Clause 34 stand part of the Bill; my opposition to the Question is a probing matter. We are not sure that the ballot papers should be redesigned under new and widened criteria. As the Bill stands, nothing prohibits the ballot paper containing more than one column of numbers, candidates, particulars and spaces where the vote is to be marked. We believe this could lead to a very confusing ballot paper design and to confusion in voting. We will be back to the hanging chad if we are not careful. Amendment No. 102A would ensure that any change to the form of the ballot paper would have to be agreed by all political parties. Given that all parties are of equal standing at the time of elections and polling, it would be absurd that one party should have more to say in the design of the ballot paper than another. Amendment No. 102B would ensure that any change to the ballot paper design was put before both Houses. We do not agree that the Secretary of State should have the power to change the ballot paper without consultation. I beg to move.