Isle of Man House of Keys General Election 22nd September 2016 : England

Organisation : The Electoral Commission
Facility : House of Keys General Election
State : Isle of Man

Notification : https://www.gov.im/categories/home-and-neighbourhood/elections-and-voting/
Home Page : https://www.gov.im/

House of Keys General Election :

The General Election is every 5 years the last election being held on 29 September 2011.

Related : Isle of Man Local Authority Elections : www.electionin.org/1403.html

Last opportunity to register in order to stand as a candidate 17 June 2016
Last opportunity to register in order to vote 1 September 2016

Why should I register? :
To be able to vote in or stand as a candidate for a House of Keys or Local Authority election.

Why should I vote? :
** How can we influence the choices that Members of the House of Keys, Commissioners or Councillors make when they consider new laws, policies or practices?.
** The starting point is to ensure that the decision-makers are the people who share your point of view or who you think will best represent you.
** You can only do this if you vote.
** Your vote can make a difference. The outcome of a House of Keys byelection in 2015 was decided by only three votes

Make your vote count :
** The House of Keys is the Lower Branch of Tynwald, which consists of 24 members who represent single member and multi member constituencies.
** The members of the House of Keys are directly elected by the people of the Isle of Man.
** Every five years the House of Keys is dissolved by His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor and a General Election is held to elect members of the House of Keys.

Absent or Proxy vote :

How to apply for an Absent Vote :
** You may wish to apply for an absent vote whether you are on the Island or off the Island on the day of election.
** An application form for an absent vote can be found in the downloable documents attached called ‘House of Keys Voters Guidance’.

An application form for an absent vote will also be available from:
** The returning officer for your constituency
** The registration officer
** Police stations – during such hours as the station is open (for a by-election it will be the police station within the constituency)
** Cabinet Office website
** Tynwald Library
** Local Authority Offices

How to cast an Absent Vote :
Your ballot paper must not be completed before delivery to or collection by the certifying person.

If you will be in the Isle of Man you can deliver your ballot paper directly to the returning officer or you can ask the returning officer to make arrangements for your ballot paper to be collected from you.
** If you choose to deliver your ballot paper you must ask for a “certifying person” who has the authority to receive your vote.
** If you have made arrangements for your ballot paper to be collected, you must ensure the person who has called to collect the ballot is a “certifying person”.

In either case the certifying person will be the returning officer for your constituency, an advocate or a person who has been appointed by the Governor for this purpose. You should ask the person to show that they have been appointed for this purpose and are allowed to receive your vote.

You will be required to produce to the certifying person :
** your ballot paper; and
** the declaration of identity and form of instruction.
The certifying person may ask you to produce evidence of your identity.

In order to cast your vote you must :
** sign the declaration of identity in the presence of the certifying person;
** vote in the presence of the certifying person, but they must not be able to see how you mark your ballot paper;
** insert the ballot paper into the smaller envelope (marked A) and seal the envelope;
** place the sealed smaller envelope and the declaration of identify into the larger envelope (marked B) and seal the envelope; and then
** pass the sealed envelope to the certifying person, who will ensure it is included in the official count.

If you are unable to sign the declaration of identity, the certifying person, on being satisfied as to your identity, will mark the ballot paper as you direct and insert the ballot paper into the smaller envelope and seal the envelope.

If you will be off Island when you mark your ballot paper the arrangement will be as above except that you will take:
** the ballot paper;
** the declaration of identity and form of instructions; and
** satisfactory evidence of identity,
** to a person who may act as a certifying person

** Please note you should contact your returning officer if you are unsure of the last day for making an application for an absent vote, or for the issue of the absent voter’s ballot paper.
** Once your application to be treated as an absent voter has been approved by the returning officer, you will NOT be able to vote at the polling station on the day of election.

Apply for the appointment of a Proxy to vote :
** If you are to be off the Island on the day of election you may opt to appoint a proxy to vote on your behalf.
** An application form for the appointment of a proxy is attached in this guidance book.

An application form for the appointment of a proxy will also be available from:
** The returning officer for your constituency
** The registration officer
** Police stations – during such hours as the station is open (for a by-election it will be the police station within the constituency)
** Cabinet Office website
** Tynwald Library
** Local Authority Offices
You may be able to obtain an application form for the appointment of a proxy from a candidate for the election.

Please note an application for the appointment of a proxy, once completed and witnessed, must be received by the registration officer at least three clear days before the date fixed for the election. If you are unsure of the deadline please contact the Registration Office.

A person who is appointed as a proxy voter must :
** be registered to vote (the proxy does not have to be registered in your constituency); and
** not be appointed proxy to vote on behalf of more than 2 individuals; except where the proxy is the spouse, civil partner, parent, grandparent, brother, sister, child or grandchild of those individuals. A proxy may be appointed for any number of these family members.

A proxy voter may be required to produce satisfactory photographic evidence of identity before being permitted to vote at a polling station.
Please note that when a proxy has been appointed to vote on your behalf you may still vote in person, provided you apply at the polling station for a ballot paper for the purpose of voting in person BEFORE a ballot paper has been issued to your proxy.