Commentary on Sections (and Schedules) Section 6: Petition officers
35.Subsection (1) provides that every constituency will have a petition officer in relation to a recall petition and it identifies who the relevant petition officers will be in a constituency in each part of the United Kingdom. In England and Wales it will be the person who is the acting returning officer for UK Parliamentary elections in the relevant constituency. In Scotland it will be the person who is the returning officer for UK Parliamentary elections in the relevant constituency. In Northern Ireland it will be the Chief Electoral Officer.
36.Subsection (3) gives effect to Schedule 1 which contains more detail about petition officers. These provisions are in line with similar requirements about the role of returning officers at UK Parliamentary elections.