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Electoral (Amendment) Act, 1986

In short

This law amends existing electoral and referendum laws, primarily by changing who acts as the returning officer for constituencies and by setting out specific procedures for a constitutional referendum related to the Tenth Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 1986.

What it regulates

Who it concerns

Key points

📄 Legal text
Electoral (Amendment) Act, 1986 Skip to content Disclaimer Feedback Helpdesk Gaeilge LĂ©im go dtĂ­ an t-ĂĄbhar SĂ©anadh Aiseolas Deasc chabhrach English Gaeilge English Produced by the Office of the Attorney General TĂĄirgthe ag Oifig an Ard-Aighne Home Legislation Acts of the Oireachtas Statutory Instruments Pre-1922 Legislation Constitution External Resources Bills (Houses of the Oireachtas) Iris OifigiĂșil / Official Gazette Revised Acts (LRC) Classified List of Legislation (LRC) Translations (acts.ie) Translations (Houses of the Oireachtas) Government Publications for Sale EU Law (EUR-Lex) FAQ Disclaimer Feedback Helpdesk Search Baile ReachtaĂ­ocht Achtanna an Oireachtais IonstraimĂ­ ReachtĂșla ReachtaĂ­ocht RĂ©amh-1922 Bunreacht AcmhainnĂ­ Seachtracha BillĂ­ (Tithe an Oireachtais) Iris OifigiĂșil Achtanna Athbhreithnithe (CAD) (An CoimisiĂșn um AthchĂłiriĂș an DlĂ­) Liosta Rangaithe ReachtaĂ­ochta AistriĂșchĂĄin (achtanna.ie) AistriĂșchĂĄin (Tithe an Oireachtais) FoilseachĂĄin Rialtais ar DĂ­ol DlĂ­ AE (EUR-Lex) CCanna (Ceisteanna Coitianta) SĂ©anadh Aiseolas Deasc chabhrach Cuardach TitleTeideal Year(s) or rangeBliain nĂł blianta nĂł raon TypeCineĂĄl All Legislation Acts Statutory Instruments Advanced SearchCuardach Casta HomeBaile ActsAchtanna 1986 Electoral (Amendment) Act, 1986 Electoral (Amendment) Act, 1986 Permanent Page URL View by SectionAmharc de rĂ©ir Ailt View Full ActAmharc ar an Acht IomlĂĄn Bill History Stair Bille Commencement, Amendments, SIs made under the Act Tosach Feidhme, Leasuithe, IRĂ­ arna ndĂ©anamh faoin Acht Print Full ActPriontĂĄil an tAcht IomlĂĄn Number 12 of 1986 ELECTORAL (AMENDMENT) ACT, 1986 ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS Section 1. Amendment of Electoral Act, 1963. 2. Amendment of European Assembly Elections Act, 1977. 3. Constitutional referendum in relation to Tenth Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 1986. 4. Short title, collective citation and construction. APPENDIX PART I PART II Acts Referred to Electoral Act, 1963 1963, No. 19 Electoral Acts, 1923 to 1985 Electoral (Amendment) Act, 1985 1985, No. 12 European Assembly Elections Act, 1977 1977, No. 30 European Assembly Elections Acts, 1977 and 1984 Referendum Act, 1942 1942, No. 8 Referendum Acts, 1942 to 1985 Number 12 of 1986 ELECTORAL (AMENDMENT) ACT, 1986 AN ACT TO AMEND THE ELECTORAL ACTS, 1923 TO 1985, THE EUROPEAN ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS ACTS, 1977 AND 1984, AND THE REFERENDUM ACTS, 1942 TO 1985. [27th May, 1986] BE IT ENACTED BY THE OIREACHTAS AS FOLLOWS: Amendment of Electoral Act, 1963 . 1.— Section 11 of the Electoral Act, 1963 , is hereby amended by— (a) the substitution of the following subsection for subsection (1): “(1) (a) The returning officer for a constituency shall be— (i) in case the whole of the constituency is situate in a specified county or specified county borough, the sheriff for the specified county or specified county borough, (ii) in case part of the constituency is situate in a specified county and part in a specified county borough, such one of the sheriffs for the specified county or specified county borough as the Minister appoints from time to time, (iii) in case part of the constituency is situate in a specified county or specified county borough or in both and part in another county, such one of the following as the Minister appoints from time to time, namely, the sheriff for the specified county or the specified county borough or the county registrar for the other county, (iv) in any other case, the county registrar or, where part of the constituency has one county registrar and part another county registrar or parts other county registrars, such one of the county registrars as the Minister appoints from time to time. (b) In this section references to a specified county or specified county borough are references to the counties of Cork and Dublin and the county boroughs of Cork and Dublin.”, and (b) the substitution of the following paragraph for paragraph (c) of subsection (2): “(c) In this subsection ‘appropriate officer’, in relation to part of a constituency, means— (i) in case the part is situated in a specified county or specified county borough, the sheriff of the specified county or specified county borough, (ii) in case the part is situated in any other county or county borough, the county registrar for the county or county borough.”. Amendment of European Assembly Elections Act, 1977. 2.— Section 14 of the European Assembly Elections Act, 1977 , is hereby amended by the substitution of the following subsection for subsection (2): “(2) There shall for the purposes of this Act be a local returning officer for every county or county borough contained in a constituency and the local returning officer shall be— (a) in the case of the counties of Cork and Dublin and the county boroughs of Cork and Dublin, the sheriff, and (b) in every other case, the county registrar.”. Constitutional referendum in relation to Tenth Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 1986. 3.—At a constitutional referendum in relation to the Tenth Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 1986— (a) a polling card sent under section 64 (1) of the Electoral Act, 1963 , as amended by section 3 of the Electoral (Amendment) Act, 1985 , shall contain the statements set out in Parts I and II of the Appendix to this section, (b) a polling card shall also be sent by the local returning officer for a constituency to every elector whose name is on the register of presidential electors for such constituency and is on the postal voters list for such constituency, (c) a polling card sent under paragraph (b) of this section— (i) shall indicate that it is for a postal voter and shall accordingly not state the number and place referred to in the said section 64 (1), (ii) shall contain the statements referred to in paragraph (a) of this section, and (iii) shall be sent by post to the elector at the same time as his ballot paper is sent, being addressed to him at the same address as is stated on the envelope in which the ballot paper is sent, (d) subsections (3) to (6) of the said section 64 shall apply in relation to polling cards sent under paragraph (b) of this section, (e) copies of the statements referred to in paragraph (a) of this section shall be displayed by a presiding officer in and in the precincts of his polling station: Provided that the referendum shall not be invalidated by reason of any failure to display such copies in or in the precincts of any polling station, (f) in applying Rule 18 (inserted by the Electoral Act, 1963 ) of the First Schedule to the Referendum Act, 1942 , the following paragraph shall be substituted for paragraph (5)— “(5) (a) Where a ballot paper is to be marked pursuant to paragraph (3) of this Rule, the presiding officer may assist the voter by reading out in full from the ballot paper the proposal stated therein and asking the voter ‘Do you approve of or do you object to that Bill becoming law?’ and shall then, unless it is a case to which subparagraph (b) of this paragraph applies, mark the ballot paper in accordance with the answer of the voter, but he shall not act on any written instruction. (b) Where the voter fails to understand the import of the said question, or does not answer the question the presiding officer— (i) shall read out to the voter paragraph 1 of the statement set out in Part I or Part II, as appropriate, of the Appendix to section 3 of the Electoral (Amendment) Act, 1986, (ii) shall then ask the voter ‘Which do you wish to do—to vote in favour of the proposal to change the Constitution or to vote against the proposal to change the Constitution?’, and (iii) shall then mark the ballot paper in accordance with the answer of the voter, but shall not act on any written instruction.”. APPENDIX PART I 1. Is Ă© atĂĄ beartaithe leis an mBille um an DeichiĂș LeasĂș ar an mBunreacht, 1986, fo-alt 2° d'Airteagal 41.3 den Bhunreacht, a deir nach cead dlĂ­ ar bith a achtĂș a bhĂ©arfadh cumhacht chun pĂłsadh a scaoileadh, a scriosadh agus an fo-alt seo a leanas a chur ina ionad: “2° I gcĂĄs gur deimhin le cibĂ© cĂșirt do bunuigheadh faoin mBunreacht so agus a ordĂłchar le dligheadh, agus sa chĂĄs san amhĂĄin— i. go bhfuil teipthe ar phĂłsadh, ii. gur lean an teip ar feadh trĂ©imhse cĂșig bliana ar a laghad nĂł trĂ©imhsĂ­ cĂșig bliana ar a laghad san iomlĂĄn, iii. nach fĂ©idir le rĂ©asĂșn bheith ag sĂșil le comhrĂ©iteach idir na pĂĄirtithe sa phĂłsadh, agus iv. gur coimhlĂ­onadh aon choingheall eile a bheas ordaithe le dligheadh, fĂ©adfaidh an chĂșirt, do rĂ©ir dlighidh, scaoileadh ar an bpĂłsadh do thabhairt ar choingheall gur deimhin leis an gcĂșirt go ndĂ©anfar socrĂș imleor cuibhe, ag fĂ©achaint do na himthosca, maidir le haon chĂ©ile cleitheamhnach agus maidir le haon leanbh de chuid ceachtar cĂ©ile nĂł aon leanbh atĂĄ i gcleitheamhnas ar cheachtar cĂ©ile.”. 2. MĂĄ THOILÍONN tĂș leis an togra, cuir X os coinne an fhocail TÁ ar an bpĂĄipĂ©ar ballĂłide. 3. Mura dTOILÍONN tĂș leis an togra, cuir X os coinne an fhocail NÍL ar an bpĂĄipĂ©ar ballĂłide. 4. Is fĂ©idir cĂłip den Bhille a iniĂșchadh saor in aisce, agus is fĂ©idir Ă© a cheannach ar dhĂĄ phingin go leith, in aon Phost-Oifig. PARTII 1. The Tenth Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 1986, proposes to delete subsection 2° of Article 41.3 of the Constitution, which states that no law shall be enacted providing for the grant of a dissolution of marriage, and to substitute the subsection here following: “2° Where, and only where, such court established under this Constitution as may be prescribed by law is satisfied that— i. a marriage has failed, ii. the failure has continued for a period of, or periods amounting to, at least five years, iii. there is no reasonable possibility of reconciliation between the parties to the marriage, and iv. any other condition prescribed by law has been complied with, the court may in accordance with law grant a dissolution of the marriage provided that the court is satisfied that adequate and proper provision having regard to the circumstances will be made for any dependent spouse and for any child of or any child who is dependent on either spouse.”. 2. If you APPROVE of the proposal, mark X opposite the word YES on the ballot paper. 3. If you DO NOT APPROVE of the proposal, mark X opposite the word NO on the ballot paper. 4. A copy of the Bill can be inspected free of charge, and purchased for two and a half pence, at any Post Office. Short title, collective citation and construction. 4.—(1) This Act may be cited as the Electoral (Amendment) Act, 1986. (2) The Electoral Acts, 1923 to 1985, and section 1 of this Act may be cited together as the Electoral Acts, 1923 to 1986. (3) The European Assembly Elections Acts, 1977 and 1984, and section 2 of this Act may be cited together as the European Assembly Elections Acts, 1977 to 1986. (4) (a) The Referendum Acts, 1942 to 1985 and section 3 of this Act may be cited together as the Referendum Acts, 1942 to 1986. (b) Section 3 of this Act shall be construed as one with the Referendum Acts, 1942 to 1985. 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