Elections regulations

(1) The Elections and Boundaries Commission may, after consultation with representatives of civil society organisations and other interested bodies, make regulations– (a) to provide for the registration of electors; (b) to provide for the holding of elections and by- elections of members of every Council; (c) to provide for the conduct of elections of members of every Council; (d) to prohibit any act or matter which in its opinion is not conducive to the maintenance of order on polling day; (e) to declare any act committed in the course of any campaign for election or at an election, an election offence; (f) to declare the grounds upon which an election may be challenged and the persons who may challenge an election; (g) to declare the grounds upon which an election may be avoided and the procedure for challenging an election; (h) to provide for the trial of election petitions and matters connected therewith including the deposit of security and the award of costs; (i) to prescribe the form of the ballot papers and sample ballot papers; (j) to provide for the custody and disposal of ballot papers; 19 (k) to prescribe the method of marking voters at (l) to provide for penalties for the breach of any regulation; and (m) to prescribe for all such other matters relating to elections as may be necessary for the carrying out of the provisions of this Act. (2) Contraventions of any regulations made under sub- section (1), may be declared by the Elections and Boundaries Commission to be illegal practices, and provision may be made in the said regulations for the punishment on summary conviction, of persons committing or aiding, abetting, inciting, taking part or attempting to take part in the commission of such illegal practices, by– (a) a fine not exceeding two thousand dollars; and (b) disqualification from voting at any election under this Act, the Belize City Council Act, the Representation of the People Act, the Village Councils Act, and from being elected or appointed, as the case may be, as a member of a City Council, Town Council, Village Council or of the National Assembly for a period of three years from the date of his conviction. CAP. 85. CAP. 9. CAP. 88. (3) Regulations made by the Election and Boundaries Commission under this section shall be laid on the table of the House of Representatives by the Minister as soon as may be after the making thereof and shall be subject to negative resolution.