Legislation – Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Act 2024

PART 1
ELECTORAL ADMINISTRATION AND REGISTRATION

CHAPTER 1 CO-ORDINATION OF ELECTORAL ADMINISTRATION

1 Electoral Management Board of Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru

2 Minor and consequential amendments

CHAPTER 2 ELECTORAL REGISTRATION WITHOUT APPLICATIONS

3 Duty to register local government electors

4 Provision connected to the duty to register eligible local government electors

CHAPTER 3 WELSH ELECTIONS PILOTING AND REFORM

Welsh election pilots

5 Pilot regulations: powers

6 Pilot regulations: requirements

7 Pilot regulations: procedure

Proposals for pilots

8 Proposals for pilots made by the Welsh Ministers

9 Proposals for pilots made by principal councils

10 Proposals for pilots made jointly by the Electoral Commission and principal councils

11 Proposals for pilots made by electoral registration officers

12 Joint proposals for pilots

13 Electoral Commission recommendations

Evaluation of pilot proposals

14 Evaluation of pilot proposals

15 Welsh election pilot forums

Guidance on pilots

16 Guidance on pilots

Evaluation of pilots

17 Evaluation of pilot regulations

Reform following pilots

18 Electoral reform regulations

19 Electoral reform regulations: procedure

21 Regulations: ancillary provision

22 Interpretation of this Chapter

23 Consequential amendments

CHAPTER 4 ACCESSIBILITY AND DIVERSITY: WELSH ELECTIONS

Reports on assistance for disabled voters

24 Reports by the Electoral Commission

Candidate survey: local government elections

25 Survey of councillors and unsuccessful candidates in local elections

Welsh elections information platform

26 Welsh elections information platform

Diversity in persons seeking elected office

27 Services to promote diversity in persons seeking elected office

28 Financial assistance schemes to promote diversity in persons seeking elected office

29 Excluded persons

30 Guidance for political parties to promote diversity in persons seeking elected office

31 Interpretation of this Chapter

CHAPTER 5 CAMPAIGN FINANCE

Expenditure in respect of local government elections

32 Notional expenditure: candidates in local government elections

Expenditure in respect of Senedd Cymru elections

33 Notional and third party expenditure: Senedd Cymru elections

34 Codes of practice on expenses

35 Authorised persons not required to pay through election agent

36 Restriction on which third parties may incur controlled expenditure

37 Third parties capable of giving notification

38 Code of practice on controls relating to third parties

39 Minor and consequential amendments

PART 2
ELECTED BODIES AND THEIR MEMBERS

CHAPTER 1 ARRANGEMENTS FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Electoral arrangements reviews: principal councils

40 Considerations for a review of principal area electoral arrangements

41 Review period for principal area reviews

Reviews of seaward boundaries

42 Review of seaward boundaries

Consultation and consideration of representations

43 Electoral review recommendations and decisions: duty to have regard to representations

44 Names of electoral wards

45 Consultation on reviews

46 Meaning of “mandatory consultees” in Part 3 of the 2013 Act

Timing of reviews and implementation

47 Electoral review recommendations and decisions: period before a local election

48 Deadline for completion of reviews

49 Deadline for completion of implementation

50 Directions to pause reviews

Community reviews and status as towns

51 Community reviews and implementation

52 Notice of resolutions on status of communities as towns

Publication of information: arrangements for local government

53 Publication of orders under Part 3 of the 2013 Act

54 Publication of up-to-date lists of communities and community councils

55 Transitional provision

CHAPTER 2 REMUNERATION OF ELECTED MEMBERS

Abolition of the Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales

56 Abolition of Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales

Functions of the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru

57 Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru functions relating to remuneration

58 Transfer of property, rights and liabilities

59 Minor and consequential amendments

CHAPTER 3 DISQUALIFICATION, UNDUE INFLUENCE AND POLITICAL RESTRICTION OF OFFICES

Disqualification

61 Disqualification from being a Member of the Senedd and a community councillor

62 Disqualification for corrupt or illegal practice: local government elections

63 Disqualification for corrupt or illegal practice: Senedd Cymru elections

‍Undue influence

64 Undue influence

Political restriction of offices

65 Political restriction of officers and staff

CHAPTER 4 DEMOCRACY AND BOUNDARY COMMISSION CYMRU

66 Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru: persons who may not be members etc.

67 Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru: governance and audit committee

68 Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru: power to charge

PART 3
GENERAL PROVISION

69 Regulations: restrictions

70 General interpretation

71 Power to make consequential and transitional provision etc.

72 Coming into force

SCHEDULES

SCHEDULE 1 MINOR AND CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENTS

Which version?
Latest available (Revised)
Original (As enacted)

PART 2ELECTED BODIES AND THEIR MEMBERS

CHAPTER 1ARRANGEMENTS FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Electoral arrangements reviews: principal councils

40Considerations for a review of principal area electoral arrangements

(1)

The 2013 Act is amended as follows.

(2)

In section 30 (considerations for a review of principal area electoral arrangements), for subsection (1) substitute—

“(1)

When considering whether to make recommendations for changes to the electoral arrangements of a principal area, the Commission must have regard to the following factors—

(a)

the desirability of having a ratio of local government electors to the number of members of the council to be elected that is the same, or nearly the same, in every electoral ward of the principal area;

(b)

special geographical considerations, including in particular the size, shape and accessibility of an electoral ward;

(c)

any local ties (including local ties connected to the use of the Welsh language) that would be broken by such changes.”

41Review period for principal area reviews

(1)

The 2013 Act is amended as follows.

(2)

In section 29 (review of electoral arrangements for principal area)—

(a)

in subsection (3)—

(i)

for paragraph (a) substitute—

“(a)

the period of 12 years beginning on 30 September 2023, and”;

(ii)

in paragraph (b), for “10” substitute “12”;

(b)

after subsection (3), insert—

“(3A)

The Welsh Ministers may by regulations amend subsection (3).”

(3)

In section 71(2) (orders and regulations), after paragraph (ba) (inserted by paragraph 1(4)(b) of Part 1 of Schedule 1 to this Act) insert—

“(bb)

regulations under section 29(3A),”.

(4)

In the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021 (asc 1), in section 138 (reviews of electoral arrangements), omit subsection (6).