Belize, Representation of the People Act, Chapter 9, Revised Edition 2000, accessed 22 December 2020
Third Schedule: Representation of the People Election Rules
19.-(1) Not withstanding rule 18 above, a person falling in the categories specified in paragraphs (a) to (e) of subrule (2) below shall be eligible, subject to the provisions of this Rule, to vote by proxy.
(2) The categories referred to in subrule (1) above are:
(a) persons employed outside Belize in any Belizean Embassy, High Commission, Diplomatic Mission or Consulate, including their spouses and dependents;
(b) members of the Belize Defence Force; [...]
Note: There is no distinction in the law as to in which elections they can take part, so it would be all kinds of elections.
(a) members of the Belize Police Department assigned for duty on polling day;
(b) persons acting as election officers;
(c) persons employed in transporting or in any other manner assisting election officers:
Provided that-
(a) a person shall not be eligible to be appointed as a proxy unless he is:-
i) eighteen years of age or over;
ii) registered as an elector under the Act; and
iii) not subject to any legal incapacity to vote at such election;
(b) a person shall not be entitled to have more than one person at any one time appointed as proxy to vote for him at the election;
(c) a person shall not be appointed as proxy for more than person at any one election;
(d) a person for whom a proxy has been appointed to vote for him at an election shall not himself be entitled to vote at the same election;
(e) a person who is an agent for any political party shall not be entitled to be appointed as a proxy.
(2) A person desirous of voting by proxy as provided in this rule shall make written application to the Chief Elections Officer in the manner set out in Form 26 of the Fifth Schedule within seven clear days after the issue of the writ for an election and shall sign such application before and in the presence of a Justice of the Peace, Notary Public or Belize Honorary Consul, or in the case of members of the Belize Defence Force, before the Commandant of that Force, or in the case of members of the Belize Police Department, before the Commissioner of Police.
(3) The Chief Elections Officer may, upon receipt of the application made under subrule (3) above, if satisfied that the applicant is eligible to vote by proxy under the provisions of subrule (1) above, approve such appointment by completing a proxy paper in the form set out in Form 25 of the Fifth Schedule. […]
(4) No stamp duty shall be chargeable on any Instrument appointing a proxy under these rules.
(5) If an elector falling in the categories referred to in paragraphs (a) to (e) of subrule (2) above appoints a proxy for an election pursuant to this rule and later dies at any time before such election, such death shall nullify the appointment of the proxy and the Chief Elections Officer shall, upon satisfactory proof of the death of the elector being presented to him, delete the names of the deceased elector and the proxy from the Proxy Register prepared by him under subrule (8) below.
(6) Notwithstanding the time limit specified in subrule (3) above, if a person appointed as proxy dies or otherwise becomes unable to act as proxy at any time before the election day, the Chief Elections Officer shall, on application made to him by the elector, allow the appointment of another proxy or in the alternative, allow the elector to vote in person. In considering whether to approve an alternative proxy or allow the elector to vote in person, the Chief Elections Officer shall have regard to all the relevant circumstances, including the time at which the application is made, the date on which the election is to be held, whether the elector is outside Belize at the material time, and the feasibility of amending the Proxy Register and other similar matters.
(7) For the purpose of this rule, the Chief Elections Officer shall prepare a “Proxy Register” in the form set out in Form 26A of the Fifth Schedule, comprising the names, registration numbers, electoral divisions and other particulars of all persons for whom proxies have been appointed in pursuance of this rule and the names, registration numbers, electoral divisions and other particulars of such proxies. The Proxy Register so prepared shall be used to verify the identification and other particulars of the proxy as well as of the person who appointed him.
(8) While preparing the Proxy Register referred to in subrule (8) above, the Chief Elections Officer shall ensure that the names of all persons for whom proxies have been appointed are removed from the main elector registers kept by him. […]
(9) Any person who impersonates a proxy or in any manner acts in contravention of this rule commits an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months.
Subject to subrule (7) above, any person who, having appointed a proxy, votes or attempts to vote in person at an election for which the proxy has been appointed commits an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars, or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or to both such fine and term of impriso
