Section 8 - Power to change the voting system
49.Section 8(1) of the Act gives principal councils the power to change the voting system that applies to the election of councillors in its area. The remaining provisions of sections 8 and 9 of the Act then set out how it should set about making that change.
50.If the voting system that applies to a council is the simple majority system, the council may change it to the single transferable vote system, if the voting system that applies to a council is the single transferable vote, the council is able change it to the simple majority system.
51.The power to change the voting system is the responsibility of the full council; subsection (4) makes clear that the power:
is not to be the responsibility of an executive of the council;
cannot be delegated to any committee or sub-committee of the council.
52.Subsection (5) places a duty on principal councils to consult those who are entitled to vote as electors at a local government election in its area, each community council in its area and such other persons as the council considers appropriate (which might include bodies such as the Electoral Commission) before it changes the voting system that currently applies.
