Section 10: Pilot Schemes
32.This section allows the Secretary of State to make orders enabling local authorities in England and Wales to run pilot schemes of innovative electoral procedures at particular local government elections.
33.Under subsection (1) a local authority must submit their proposals to the Secretary of State who will, if he approves them (with or without such modifications as he considers appropriate after consulting the authority), make the necessary order to allow the pilot to take place.
34.Subsection (2) provides that pilot schemes may make provision which differs from the normal provision made by or under the Representation of the People Acts in relation to when, where and how voting takes place, how votes are counted and the sending of elections addresses by candidates free of postal charges.
35.Subsection (3) provides that pilot schemes may make provision for voting to take place over more than one day and at places other than polling stations. Pilot schemes may also allow for the local authority concerned to meet the postage costs of the distribution of candidates' election addresses, in which case the order providing for the pilot scheme may disapply the rules in section 75 of the Representation of the People Act 1983 dealing with third party expenditure.
36.Subsection (4) enables a pilot scheme to be run across the whole of a local authority's area or only in some parts of it.
37.Subsection (5) provides that where the Secretary of State makes an order for implementing a pilot scheme he must send a copy of the order to the local authority concerned, which must publish it in their area.
38.Subsections (6)-(10) deal with evaluation of pilot schemes. A local authority running a pilot are required to produce a report on the scheme.
39.The report must include details of the scheme together with a copy of the order authorising it made by the Secretary of State.
40.The report must also include an assessment of the scheme in facilitating voting and (if relevant) the counting process or in encouraging voting or enabling voters to make informed decisions. The report about voting must include a statement as to whether in the local authority's opinion:
turnout was higher than it would otherwise have been,
voters found the new arrangements easy to use,
the new procedures led to any increase in personation or other electoral fraud,
the procedures led to an increase or to savings in expenditure.
41.The report must also include an assessment of any other matters that the Secretary of State has requested should be included in the report.
42.The report must be completed and sent to the Secretary of State within three months from the day on which the election results are declared, and the local authority must also publish the report in their area.
43.Subsection (11) defines the local authorities in England and Wales which may apply to run pilot schemes.
44.Subsection (12) has the effect that an application to run a pilot scheme submitted to the Secretary of State before this Act received Royal Assent is to be treated in the same fashion as those submitted after that point.
