3.Following the 2007 joint Scottish Parliament and local government elections, Ron Gould, former Assistant Chief Electoral Officer of Canada and an electoral administration expert, was appointed by the Electoral Commission to carry out an independent review of the problems which had arisen during the elections. Gould made a number of recommendations to improve electoral administration and this Act continues the process of implementing these.(1)
4.The Act establishes the Electoral Management Board for Scotland on a statutory basis for its work in relation to local government elections in Scotland and extends the statutory remit of the Electoral Commission to cover local government elections in Scotland.