Home Office: Representation of the People Acts: Circulars

HO 365

1933-1975

Circulars concerning the administration of local government and parliamentary elections.

They give information about changes in electoral law and offer guidance on subjects related to the administration of elections. The major topics covered are: the canvass for the electoral register; the display and sale of the electoral register; absent voting (postal and proxy); the nomination of candidates and eligibility to hold office; the provision of polling stations; and the procedure at the count.

The circulars in this series fall into three groups: firstly for the years 1933-1943; secondly the RPW series for the years 1944-1948 which followed the Parliamentary Electors (War-Time Registration) Acts 1943 and 1944 (the 1943 Act formed Part I of the Parliament (Elections and Meeting) Act 1943); and thirdly the RPA series which began in 1949 following the Representation of the People Act 1948.

Public Record(s)

English

6 file(s)

Topics

Democracy

The Home Office is responsible for the administration of the electoral process in Great Britain for both parliamentary and local government elections. This includes the franchise and registration of electors, the conduct of elections and regulation of election campaigns.

The RPA series of circulars are issued periodically by the Home Office to returning officers and electoral registration officers for all electoral areas in England and Wales. Copies are also sent to local authority associations and the main political parties. Circulars pre 1949 were sent to electoral registration officers.