Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Act 2024

1. Introduction

2. General Overview of the Act

   1. Part 1 - Electoral Administration and Registration

   2. Part 2 - Elected Bodies and their Members

   3. Part 3 - General Provision

3. Commentary on Sections

   1. Part 1 Electoral Administration and Registration

      1. Chapter 1: Co-Ordination of Electoral Administration

         1. Section 1 - Electoral Management Board of Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru

            1. Section 20A – Electoral administration functions

            2. Section 20B – Directions to returning officers

            3. Section 20C – Directions to electoral registration officers

            4. Section 20D – Consultation with the Electoral Commission

            5. Section 20E – Electoral Management Board

            6. Section 20F – Board membership

            7. Section 20G – Tenure

            8. Section 20H – Board proceedings

            9. Section 20I – Interpretation

         2. Section 2 - Minor and consequential amendments

      2. Chapter 2: Electoral Registration Without Applications

         1. Section 3 - Duty to register local government electors

         2. Section 4 - Provision connected to the duty to register eligible local government electors

      3. Chapter 3: Welsh Elections Piloting and Reform

         1. Section 5 – Pilot regulations: powers

         2. Section 6 – Pilot regulations: requirements

         3. Section 7 – Pilot regulations: procedure

         4. Section 8 – Proposals for pilots made by the Welsh Ministers

         5. Section 9 – Proposals for pilots made by principal councils

         6. Section 10 – Proposals for pilots made jointly by the Electoral Commission and principal councils

         7. Section 11 – Proposals for pilots made by electoral registration officers

         8. Section 12 – Joint proposals for pilots

         9. Section 13 – Electoral Commission recommendations

         10. Section 14 – Evaluation of pilot proposals

         11. Section 15 – Welsh election pilot forums

         12. Section 16 – Guidance on pilots

         13. Section 17 – Evaluation of pilot regulations

         14. Section 18 – Electoral reform regulations

         15. Section 19 – Electoral reform regulations: procedure

         16. Section 20 – Publication

         17. Section 21 – Regulations: ancillary provision

         18. Section 22 – Interpretation

         19. Section 23 – Consequential amendments

      4. Chapter 4: Accessibility and Diversity: Welsh Elections

         1. Section 24 – Reports by the Electoral Commission

         2. Section 25 – Survey of councillors and unsuccessful candidates in local elections

         3. Section 26 – Welsh elections information platform

         4. Section 27 – Services to promote diversity in persons seeking elected office

         5. Section 28 – Financial assistance schemes to promote diversity in persons seeking elected office

         6. Section 29 – Excluded persons

         7. Section 30 – Guidance for political parties to promote diversity in persons seeking elected office

      5. Chapter 5: Campaign Finance

         1. Section 32 – Notional expenditure: candidates in local government elections

         2. Section 33 – Notional and third party expenditure: Senedd Cymru elections

         3. Section 34 – Codes of practice on expenses

         4. Section 35 – Authorised persons not required to pay through election agent

         5. Section 36 – Restriction on which third parties may incur controlled expenditure

         6. Section 37 – Third parties capable of giving notifications

         7. Section 38 – Code of practice on controls relating to third parties

         8. Section 39 – Consequential amendments

   2. Part 2 Elected Bodies and Their Members

      1. Chapter 1: Arrangements for Local Government

         1. Section 40 – Considerations for a review of principal area electoral arrangements

         2. Section 41 - Review period for principal area reviews

         3. Section 42 – Review of seaward boundaries

         4. Section 43 – Electoral review recommendations and decisions: duty to have regard to representations

         5. Section 44 – Names of electoral wards

         6. Section 45 – Consultation on reviews

         7. Section 46 – Meaning of “mandatory consultees” in Part 3 of the 2013 Act

         8. Section 47 – Electoral review recommendations and decisions: period before a local election

         9. Section 48 – Deadline for completion of reviews

         10. Section 49 – Deadline for the completion of implementation

         11. Section 50 – Directions to pause reviews

         12. Section 51 – Community reviews and implementation

         13. Section 52 – Notice of resolutions of status of communities as towns

         14. Section 53 – Publication of orders under Part 3 of the 2013 Act

         15. Section 54 – Publication of up-to-date lists of communities and community councils

         16. Section 55 – Transitional provision

      2. Chapter 2: Remuneration of Elected Members

         1. Section 56 – Abolition of the Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales

         2. Section 57 – Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru functions relating to remuneration

            1. Section 69A – Function relating to payments to members

            2. Section 69B – Functions relating to members’ pensions

            3. Section 69C – Relevant authorities, members etc.

            4. Section 69D – Functions relating to resettlement payments

            5. Section 69E – Annual remuneration reports in relation to members of relevant authorities

            6. Section 69F – Supplementary remuneration reports

            7. Section 69G – Further provision about annual reports and supplementary reports

            8. Section 69H – Directions to reconsider draft reports

            9. Section 69I – Commission’s publication and notification duties in relation to reports

            10. Section 69J – Administrative requirements for relevant authorities in reports

            11. Section 69K – Publicising requirements for relevant authorities in reports

            12. Section 69L – Monitoring compliance with Commission’s requirements

            13. Section 69M – Directions to enforce compliance with Commission’s requirements

            14. Section 69N – Members wishing to forgo payments

            15. Section 69O – Withholding payments

            16. Section 69P – Guidance

            17. Section 69Q – Directions under this Part

            18. Section 69R – Power to modify provision

         3. Section 58 – Transfer of property, rights and liabilities

         4. Section 59 – Minor and consequential provision

         5. Section 60 – Savings

      3. Chapter 3: Disqualification and Undue Influence

         1. Section 61 – Disqualification from being a Member of the Senedd and a community councillor

         2. Section 62 – Disqualification for corrupt or illegal practice: local government elections

         3. Section 63 – Disqualification for corrupt or illegal practice: Senedd elections

         4. Section 64 – Undue Influence

         5. Section 65 – Political restriction of officers and staff

      4. Chapter 4: Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru

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

         2. Section 67 – Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru: governance and audit committee

         3. Section 68 – Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru: power to charge

   3. Part 3 – General Provision

      1. Section 69 – Regulations: restrictions

      2. Section 70 – General interpretation

      3. Section 71 – Power to make consequential and transitional provision etc.

      4. Section 72 – Coming into force

      5. Section 73 – Short title

4. Record of Proceedings in Senedd Cymru