Part 7: Miscellaneous and Final Provisions
Section 47: section 3 of the Act of Settlement
16.Section 47 of the Act concerns modifications made to section 3 of the Act of Settlement by the Electoral Administration Act 2006 for the purposes of eligibility to sit in the House of Commons. Section 47 removes any uncertainty about broader effects of this modification.
Section 48: Parliamentary elections: counting of votes
17.Section 48 places a duty on returning officers to take reasonable steps to begin counting the votes given on the ballot papers as soon as practicable within four hours of the close of the poll in parliamentary elections (polling closes at 10pm). The provision applies in both general elections and by-elections, and imposes a duty on returning officers to publish and return to the Electoral Commission a statement in the event that they are not able to begin the count within the specified time.