Part IV

The Northern Ireland Assembly

Elections etc

Dates of elections and dissolutions.
31
1
Subject to subsection (2), the date of the poll for the election of each Assembly shall be the first Thursday in May in the fifth calendar year following that in which its predecessor was elected; and the predecessor shall be dissolved at the beginning of the minimum period which ends with that date.
2
The date of the poll for the election of the Assembly next following the Assembly elected at the poll on 26 November 2003 shall be 7 March 2007; and the Assembly elected on 26 November 2003 shall be dissolved on 30 January 2007.
3
The Secretary of State may at any time by order direct that the date of the poll for the election of the next Assembly shall, instead of being that specified in subsection (1) . . . , be a date specified in the order being a date falling not more than two months before or after the date specified in that subsection.
4
An Assembly elected under this section or section 32 shall meet within the period of eight days beginning with the day of the poll at which it is elected.
5
For the purposes of subsection (4), a Saturday, a Sunday, Christmas Day, Good Friday and any day which is a bank holiday in Northern Ireland shall be disregarded , as shall any day on which section 1 of the Northern Ireland Act 2000 is in force.
6
In this section “minimum period” means a period determined in accordance with an order of the Secretary of State.
Words in s. 31(3) omitted (20.3.2003) by virtue of Northern Ireland Assembly Elections Act 2003 (c. 3), s. 1(2)(b)
Words in s. 31(5) inserted (20.3.2003) by Northern Ireland Assembly Elections Act 2003 (c. 3), s. 1(2)(c)
Pts. II-IV applied in part (1.1.2007) by The Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 (S.R. 2006/439), reg. 53(6)
S. 31(2) substituted (26.1.2007) by Northern Ireland (St Andrews Agreement) Act 2006 (c. 53), ss. 3(1), 28 (with s. 1(3))
Word in s. 31(1) substituted (13.3.2014) by Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 (c. 13), ss. 7(1), 28(1)(c) (with s. 7(2))