Political Parties and Elections Bill

Amendment 132A 132A: After Clause 23, insert the following new Clause— "Absent voting (1) Schedule 4 to the Representation of the People Act 2000 (c. 2) is amended as follows. (2) For sub-paragraphs (1), (2) and (3) of paragraph 3 there is substituted— "(1) Where a person applies to the registration officer to vote by post or proxy at parliamentary elections, at local government elections or at both (whether for an indefinite period or for a particular period specified in his application), the registration officer shall grant the application if— (a) he is satisfied that the applicant is eligible to vote by post or proxy at elections to which the application relates, (b) he is satisfied that the applicant is or will be registered in the register of parliamentary electors, local government electors or both (as the case may be), and (c) the application meets the prescribed requirements. (2) For the purposes of this paragraph a person is eligible to vote by post or proxy at parliamentary or local government elections— (a) if he is or will be registered as a service voter, (b) if he cannot reasonably be expected— (i) to go in person to the polling station allotted or likely to be allotted to him under the appropriate rules, or (ii) to vote unaided there, by reason of blindness or other physical incapacity, (c) if he cannot reasonably be expected to go in person to that polling station by reason of the general nature of his occupation, service or employment or that of his spouse, or by reason of his attendance on a course provided by an educational institution or that of his spouse, or (d) if he cannot go in person from his qualifying address to that polling station without making a journey by air or sea, and a person is also eligible to vote by proxy at parliamentary elections if he is or will be registered in pursuance of an overseas elector’s declaration. (3) For sub-paragraphs (1) and (2) of paragraph 4 there is substituted— "(1) Where a person applies to the registration officer to vote by post or proxy at a particular parliamentary or local government election the registration office shall grant the application if— (a) he is satisfied that the applicant’s circumstances on the date of the poll will be or are likely to be such that he cannot reasonably be expected to vote in person at the polling station allotted or likely to be allotted to him under the appropriate rules, (b) he is satisfied that the applicant is or will be registered in the register of parliamentary electors, local government electors or both (as the case may be), and (c) the application meets the prescribed requirements."