15.—(1) Section 39(6) of the Act does not apply in relation to the conduct of polls in overseas polling stations.
(2) Subject to this regulation, the only persons who may be present in an overseas polling station during the hours of the poll at that overseas polling station are —
(a)
the overseas election officers for that overseas polling station;
(b)
the candidates;
(c)
the polling agents of the candidates;
(d)
an overseas elector allotted to vote at that overseas polling station; and
(e)
any other person whom the Returning Officer authorises to be present.
(3) A person required by section 56(1) of the Act, read with regulation 9, to make an oath of secrecy before attending at a polling station must not be admitted to an overseas polling station unless he or she has made that oath.
(4) For the purposes of section 39(5) of the Act, the maximum number of polling agents who may be admitted to an overseas polling station at any time (regardless of the number of polling places within the overseas polling station) is —
(a)
in the case of a general election —
(i)
one polling agent for each political party that has one or more candidates in a contested election at the general election;
(ii)
one polling agent for each group of independent candidates in a contested election at the general election; and
(iii)
one polling agent for each independent candidate (not being part of a group of candidates) in a contested election at the general election; or
(b)
in the case of a by‑election —
(i)
one polling agent for each political party that has a candidate in the by‑election;
(ii)
one polling agent for each group of independent candidates in the by‑election; and
(iii)
one polling agent for each independent candidate (not being part of a group of candidates) in the by‑election.
(5) A polling agent of a candidate must not be admitted to an overseas polling station unless the relevant person provides the following information in writing to the Returning Officer no later than 2 clear days before polling day:
(a)
the polling agent’s full name (as stated in his or her identity card) and identity card number;
(b)
a statement that the polling agent is appointed for the overseas polling station.
(6) For the purpose of paragraph (5), the relevant person for a polling agent of a candidate is —
(a)
in the case of a candidate for a political party — the responsible officer of the political party;
(b)
in the case of a group of independent candidates —
(i)
a candidate in the group;
(ii)
the election agent of a candidate in the group; or
(iii)
the principal election agent of the group; or
(c)
in the case of an independent candidate (not being part of a group of candidates) —
(i)
the independent candidate; or
(ii)
the election agent of the independent candidate.
(7) Section 64(1)(c) and (1A) of the Act does not apply in relation to the admission of a polling agent of a candidate to an overseas polling station.
(8) A person who arrives at an overseas polling station to vote must —
(a)
give his or her name to the presiding officer; and
(b)
on request, give his or her name to a polling agent of the candidate.
(9) A person must not be given a ballot paper, or be admitted to vote, at an overseas polling station if he or she refuses to —
(a)
comply with paragraph (8); or
(b)
answer any question, asked by an overseas election officer for that overseas polling station, about the person’s entitlement to vote at that overseas polling station.
(10) A presiding officer at an overseas polling station must ensure that a person seeking to enter the overseas polling station to vote is admitted if the person is entitled to vote at that overseas polling station.
(11) In paragraph (6)(a), “responsible officer”, in relation to a political party, means —
(a)
if the political party is a partnership or limited partnership (but not a limited liability partnership) — a partner of the partnership;
(b)
if the political party is a body corporate — the chairperson, managing director, company secretary or any other similar officer of the body corporate, or any person carrying out the duties of any of these officers; or
(c)
if the political party is an unincorporated body of persons other than a partnership —
(i)
the president, secretary, treasurer or any other similar officer of the executive committee of the unincorporated body of persons, or any person carrying out the duties of any of these officers; or
(ii)
if the unincorporated body of persons has no executive committee, the individual notified by the unincorporated body of persons to the Returning Officer as a responsible officer.