Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Act, 1986

Offences and penalties.

24.—(1) Any person who—

(a) in relation to an application pursuant to section 3 of this Act, or to a statement pursuant to section 15 of this Act, knowingly gives any information which is false or misleading, or

(b) applies in the name of another person to be entered in the special voters list, or

(c) makes a statement pursuant to section 15 of this Act in the name of another person,

shall be guilty of an offence.

(2) Any person who—

(a) wilfully and without lawful authority takes, destroys, conceals, opens or otherwise interferes with any ballot paper or other document sent to a postal voter under Rule 3 of the Fourth Schedule to the Act of 1923 (as substituted by this Act), or Rule 26 (3) of the First Schedule to the European Assembly Elections Act, 1977 , or Article 33 of the Local Elections Regulations, 1965 (S.I. No. 128 of 1965), or

(b) without lawful authority knowingly supplies any such ballot paper or other document to a person other than the person lawfully entitled to receive it,

shall be guilty of an offence.

(3) A person who aids, abets, counsels or procures the commission of an offence under this Act or who solicits or incites any other person to commit such an offence shall be guilty of an offence.

(4) A person guilty of an offence under this Act shall be liable—

(a) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding £800, or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or, at the discretion of the court, to both such fine and such imprisonment, or

(b) on conviction on indictment, to a fine not exceeding £2,000, or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or, at the discretion of the court, to both such fine and such imprisonment.