Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011

Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011

2011 CHAPTER 1

Commentary on Sections

Part 1: Voting system for parliamentary elections

Section 4: Combination of poll

30. Section 4 provides that the poll for the referendum must be combined with (and only with) the polls for the following elections or local referendums held on the same day: local authority and mayoral elections and local government referendums in England; the Welsh Assembly general election; the Scottish parliamentary general election; and the Northern Ireland Assembly general election and local elections in Northern Ireland. Section 4 also gives effect to Schedules 5 to 8 which provide detail about the conduct of the combined polls in each of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively. These Schedules are described in more detail below. Subsection (8) deals with the position if, under existing legislative powers, the date of the poll for any of those elections is changed. Subsection (9) enables provision to be made by Order in a case where a new date for the referendum is fixed by Order under the power given by section 1 and that new date is also the date of another poll to be held in the United Kingdom or any part of it. Any Order may provide that in those circumstances the referendum is not to be taken together with any such poll. An Order may include supplemental or consequential provision, including provision modifying or amending the Act or any other provision in primary or secondary legislation.