These notes refer to the Welsh Elections (Coronavirus) Act 2021 (asc 2)
which received Royal Assent on 16 March 2021
23.
The powers in the section can be exercised more than once, but a day fixed under this section may be not be later than 5 November 2021.
Section 7 - Power to provide for additional polling days
24.
This section enables the Welsh Ministers to make regulations which allow polling for the 2021 election to take place on specified days, in addition to the day on which the poll for the election is due to take place. But additional polling days for the Senedd election are not permitted if the day of the poll for the 2021 Senedd election is on the same day as the poll for the election of police and crime commissioners in Wales.
Section 8 - Further power to vary date of 2021 election
25.
This section confers a power on the Llywydd to propose that the date of the poll for the election in 2021 fixed under section 6 of the Act be brought forward or postponed for up to a month. The exercise of this power does not have to be for reasons relating to coronavirus and may not be exercised to propose a date that is after 5 November 2021.
26.
If the Llywydd proposes a date, Her Majesty may by proclamation under the Welsh Seal dissolve the Senedd and require the poll at the election to proceed on the day proposed. If the power under this section is exercised, section 5 of the Act requires the first meeting of the Senedd to take place within 21 days of the date of the poll. The Llywydd may only exercise the power to propose a variation of the date of the Senedd election under section 4 of the 2006 Act if the election is to be held on 6 May 2021. If the election is postponed under section 6 of the Act, and the Llywydd wishes to propose a variation of the date of the postponed election, the proposal can only be made and the date of the election can only be varied under this section.
Section 9 - Guidance on election campaigning
27.
This section requires the Welsh Ministers to issue guidance about election campaigning for the 2021 election, Senedd by-elections before 6 November 2021 and local government by-elections before 6 November 2021 whilst restrictions imposed by enactments relating to the coronavirus are in place.
Section 10 - Power to postpone Senedd by-elections
28.
This section enables by-elections for Senedd constituencies to be postponed beyond the period permitted by section 10(5) and (6) of the 2006 Act. The power to postpone Senedd by-elections in section 66 of the Coronavirus Act 2020 cannot be exercised so as to fix a date after 6 May 2021. Section 10 of the Act will continue allow vacancies arising after 6 May 2021 to be postponed, but not to dates after 5 November 2021.
29.
As with Section 6 of this Act and section 66 of the Coronavirus Act 2020, the power to postpone a Senedd by-election may be used more than once.
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