Electoral (Amendment) Act, 1996
Acts of the Oireachtas
Source: Acts of the Oireachtas

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paragraphs: —(1) This Act may be cited as the Electoral (Amendment) Act, 1996.
(2) The Electoral Acts, 1992 and 1995, and this Act may be cited together as the Electoral Acts, 1992 to 1996, and shall be construed together as one Act.
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paragraphs: —The Electoral Act, 1992 , is hereby amended in section 28 by—
(a) the insertion of the following subsection after subsection (1):
“(1A) Each local authority shall, in making a scheme under this section, endeavour to appoint as polling places only such areas as shall allow the returning officer to provide at each polling place at least one polling station which is accessible to wheelchair users.”,
(b) the insertion of the following subsection after subsection (5):
“(5A) (a) Where it is not practicable to provide a polling station which is accessible to wheelchair users at a polling place appointed for a polling district by a scheme for the time being in force in respect of a county or county borough, the local authority may appoint an alternative polling place at which it is practicable to provide a polling station which is accessible to wheelchair users for that polling district.
(b) As soon as may be after the appointment of an alternative polling place for a polling district under paragraph (a), the local authority shall notify in writing details of such appointment to the Minister.”,
and
(c) the substitution in subsection (6) for “a scheme under this section shall be” of “a scheme under this section and an appointment under subsection (5A) of an alternative polling place for a polling district in a scheme for the time being in force shall each be”.
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paragraphs: —(1) The Electoral Act, 1992 is hereby amended by—
(a) the insertion of the following subsection after subsection (1) of section 94:
“(1A) The returning officer shall, where practicable, provide polling stations which are accessible to wheelchair users.”,
(b) the insertion of the following subsection after subsection (3) of section 94:
“(3A) The returning officer shall, where practicable, give public notice of all polling stations which are inaccessible to wheelchair users not later than the eighth day before polling day.”,
and
(c) the insertion of the following paragraphs after paragraph (h) of subsection (5) of section 94:
“(i) such other arrangements as may serve to facilitate the marking and placing in the ballot box of ballot papers by voters who may be wheelchair users,
(j’) such arrangements as the Minister may provide for by regulations as may serve to facilitate voters with visual impairments to mark their ballot papers without assistance.”.
(2) The Local Elections Regulations, 1995 ( S.I. No. 297 of 1995 ), are hereby amended—
(a) by the insertion of the following sub-article after sub-article (1) of Article 57:
“(1A) The returning officer shall, where practicable, provide polling stations which are accessible to wheelchair users.”,
and
(b) by the insertion of the following paragraphs after paragraph (h) of sub-article (5) of Article 57:
“(i) such other arrangements as may serve to facilitate the marking and placing in the ballot box of ballot papers by voters who may be wheelchair users,
(j) such arrangements as may be provided for by regulations under section 94 (5)(j) of the Act of 1992 for the time being in force as may serve to facilitate voters with visual impairments to mark their ballot papers without assistance.”.
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paragraphs: —(1) The Electoral Act, 1992 is hereby amended by—
(a) the insertion after “qualifying date” in paragraph (c) of section 14 of “, or” and the following paragraph:
“(d) a person who is ordinarily resident at his residence, applies to be so entered and satisfies the registration authority that—
(i) such person is unable to go in person to vote at the polling place for his polling district by reason of his physical illness or physical disability, and
(ii) the physical illness or physical disability is likely to continue for the period of continuance in force of the register of electors in respect of which the application to be entered as a postal voter is made.”,
(b) the insertion of the following section after section 14:
“Supplemental provisions to section 14.
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paragraphs: —(1) The Electoral Act, 1992 is hereby amended by the addition to section 112 at the end thereof of the following:
“The returning officer shall, where practicable, ensure that the place duly appointed under this section at which votes will be counted is accessible to wheelchair users.”.
(2) Article 74 of the Local Elections Regulations, 1995, is hereby amended by the addition of the following sub-article after sub-article (2):
“(3) The returning officer shall, where practicable, ensure that the place duly appointed under sub-article (2) at which votes will be counted is accessible to wheelchair users.”.
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paragraphs: —(1) The Minister shall by regulations prescribe dates for the purposes of paragraphs 2 and 4 of the Table to paragraph (4) of Rule 1 of the Second Schedule to the Electoral Act, 1992 , in respect of applications for entry in the postal voters list under section 14(d) of that Act for the register of electors to be published in the year 1997.
(2) Where regulations are made under subsection (1) of this section—
(a) the registration authority shall deem an application for entry in the special voters list in respect of that register from an elector who is ordinarily resident at his or her residence to be an application for entry in the postal voters list pursuant to section 14 (d) of the Electoral Act, 1992 ,
(b) the registration authority shall enter in the postal voters list the name of every elector referred to in paragraph (a) of this subsection in relation to whom an application for entry in the special voters list is granted and the name of any such elector shall not be included in the special voters list and, where appropriate, the registration authority shall remove the name of any such elector from the special voters list to which the application relates, and