Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Act 2024
The Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Act 2024 (‘the Act’) reforms and modernises the way Senedd elections and local elections are held in Wales, by implementing many of the proposals set out in the White Paper on Electoral Administration and Reform published in October 2022, in order to strengthen democratic accountability and control. The Act makes provision about:
- electoral administration and registration
- the piloting of changes to the electoral system
- the system for monitoring and reviewing local government electoral arrangements
- the disqualification of community councillors from membership of Senedd Cymru
- the application of the corrupt practice of undue influence to Senedd Cymru elections and local government elections, and
- the functions and constitution of the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru.
The Explanatory Notes to the Act provide detailed commentary on the various provisions.
Coming into force
Section 72 provides that the Act comes into force as follows:
- Chapter 3 of Part 1, Part 2 of Schedule 1, sections 61 and 66 and Part 3 came into force on 10 September 2024, which is the day after the Act received Royal Assent
- Chapter 1 of Part 2 and sections 25, 30, 62 and 63 come into force on 9 November 2024, which is two months after the day the Act received Royal Assent
- section 65 comes into force on 6 May 2027
- subject to section 72(5), the other provisions of the Act come into force on a day appointed by the Welsh Ministers in an order made by statutory instrument.
Consideration of the legislation by the Senedd
The Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill (‘the Bill’) was introduced into the Senedd on 2 October 2023 by Mick Antoniw MS, who was the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution at the time. It was passed by the Senedd on 9 July 2024 and received Royal Assent on 9 September 2024.
More information about the Act is provided on the Senedd website including a record of the Bill’s passage through the Senedd, and the Explanatory Memorandum that was prepared by the Welsh Government, as updated following Royal Assent.
Related articles and information
- Senedd Research produced this Bill Summary to explain the proposals contained in the Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill