The Bill for this Act of the Scottish Parliament was passed by the Parliament on 25th February 2016 and received Royal Assent on 30th March 2016
An Act of the Scottish Parliament to make provision about the determination of the day of the poll at the first ordinary general election for membership of the Scottish Parliament after 2016 and about the year in which local government elections fall to be held.
(1)This section applies in relation to the ordinary general election for membership of the Scottish Parliament the poll for which would, apart from this section and disregarding sections 2(5) and 3(3) of the Scotland Act 1998, be held on 7 May 2020.
(2)Section 2(2) of the Scotland Act 1998 has effect as if, instead of providing for the poll for that election to be held on that date, it provided (subject to sections 2(5) and 3(3) of that Act) for the poll to be held on 6 May 2021 (and section 2(2) has effect in relation to subsequent ordinary general elections accordingly).
(1)Section 5 of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 (elections etc. of councillors) is amended as follows.
(2)In subsection (1B) the words “, and ordinary elections shall take place every fourth year after that” are repealed.
(3)After subsection (1B) insert—
“(1C)After the ordinary election of councillors in 2017 the next ordinary election shall take place in 2022, and ordinary elections shall take place every fourth year after that.”.
This Act comes into force on the day after Royal Assent.
The short title of this Act is the Scottish Elections (Dates) Act 2016.