Anti-electoral Fraud Act 2017 1

MODEL
HOUSEOFCOMMONS

BILL 499

BILL
TO

Reduce instances of electoral fraud in the United Kingdom.

B E IT ENACTED by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of
the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled,
and by the authority of the same, as follows:

1 Definitions
Valid proof of identity refers to valid identity documents issued by Her Majesty's
Government that show the holder's full name, date of birth, gender, and valid
photo (for example, a driving licence, passport, or voter ID card).

2 Verification of identity
(1) Electors must present valid proof of their identity before they can be issued with a
ballot paper at polling stations for elections and referendums.
(2) Electors may apply for a voter ID card from their local authority.
(3) Voter ID cards must contain the holder's full name, date of birth, gender, and a
valid photo.
(4) Valid photos for voter ID cards have the same requirements for a UK passport
photo.

3 Political and election campaigners

(1) Campaigners may not
(a) take, complete or help to complete postal vote or proxy vote applications,
2 Anti-electoral Fraud Act 2017

(b) take completed postal or proxy vote application forms from voters, including
taking completed application forms to post them or deliver them to the
Electoral Registration Officer,
(c) include an intermediary address for the return of postal or proxy vote
applicationsall applications should be returned directly to Electoral
Registration Officers,
(d) take, complete or help to complete postal ballot papers or postal voting
statements, or
(e) take completed postal ballot packs, including taking completed postal ballot
packs to post them or deliver them, to the Returning Officer.
(2) Any campaigner who violates any of the definitions in subsection (1) is liable to
(a) a maximum fine of 100,000,
(b) up to five years' imprisonment, and
(c) disqualification from participation in any election for 10 years.

4 Postal votes
A person is eligible for an absent vote at elections or referendums only if
(a) he is or will be registered as a service voter,
(b) he cannot reasonably be expected to
(i) 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 serious health condition,
hospitalisation, or disability,
(c) 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 house spouse or civil partner, or by reason of his attendance on a course
provided by an educational institution or that of his spouse or civil partner, or
(d) he cannot go in person from his qualifying address to that polling station
without making a journey by air or sea.

5 Repeals
(1) Paragraphs 2(7) to (9) of Schedule 4 to the Representation of the People Act 2000 (c.
2) are hereby repealed.
(2) Section 12 of the Representation of the People Act 2000 is hereby repealed.
(3) Section 69 of the Electoral Administration Act 2006 (c. 22) is hereby repealed.

6 Short title, commencement and extent

(1) This Act may be cited as the Anti-electoral Fraud Act 2017.
(2) This Act comes into effect 120 days after Royal Assent.
(3) This Act extends to the entirety of Great Britain.