Part 1: Constitutional Arrangements Chapter 4: Elections Section 6: Timing of elections
Section 6 concerns the timing of Assembly and local government elections in Wales. Subsections (1) to (3) amend section 3 of GoWA by providing that section 3(1) is subject to a new subsection (1A). Subsection (1A) prevents the poll at an Assembly ordinary general elections being held on the same day as the poll at an ordinary general election to the UK Parliament or, a general election to the European Parliament. Subsection (2) also amends section 3(1) following the amendments to section 4 of GoWA made by subsection (7) of section 6. As a result the date of the poll at an ordinary general election to the Assembly may also be varied by a proclamation under section 4 of GoWA.
	Subsection (3) also inserts a new subsection (1B) that gives the Welsh Ministers a power to move the date of the poll of an Assembly ordinary general elections if, otherwise, it would be held on the same date as the poll of a UK Parliamentary ordinary general election or a European Parliamentary general election, unless the day of the poll is determined by a proclamation under section 4 of GoWA, as amended by subsection (7). Subsection (5) provides that an order made using that power is subject to the affirmative resolution procedure of the Assembly.
	Subsection (4) amends section 3(2) of GoWA in order that the Assembly will be dissolved automatically at the beginning of the "minimum period", which ends, if the poll is to be held on the first Thursday in May, on that date and, otherwise, on the day specified by the Welsh Ministers by order under subsection (1B).
	Subsections (6) to (14) make amendments to sections 4 and 5 of GoWA to transfer the powers of the Secretary of State to vary the date of a poll at an Assembly general election under that section to Her Majesty following a proposal by the Presiding Officer. The Presiding Officer can propose a new day for the poll, however, this cannot be the same date as the poll of a UK Parliamentary general election or a European Parliamentary general election.
	Subsection (7) amends section 4 to provide that where the Presiding Officer proposes a day for the poll at an Assembly ordinary general election, Her Majesty may then, by proclamation under the Welsh Seal, dissolve the Assembly, require the poll at the election to be held on the day proposed, and require the Assembly to meet within the period of seven days beginning immediately after the date of the poll.
	Subsection (7) also makes provision that where Welsh Ministers make an order under section 3(1B) of GoWA specifying an election date, and the Presiding Officer proposes a new date for the election under section 4(1) of that Act, the election will be held on the date proposed under section 4(1).
	Subsections (9) to (11) amend section 4(4) and (6) and remove section 4(5) to provide that the Welsh Ministers may by order make provision for specified election enactments to have effect with such modifications or exceptions, as they consider appropriate in connection with the alteration of the day of the poll by the Presiding Officer. Such an order is to be made subject to the negative procedure in the Assembly.
	Subsections (12) to (14) make amendments to section 5 of GoWA to transfer the power of the Secretary of State to propose the date of a poll at an Assembly extraordinary general election under that section to the Presiding Officer.
	The effect of the amendments is that in the event that the Presiding Officer proposes such a date, Her Majesty may then, by proclamation under the Welsh Seal, dissolve the Assembly, require the poll at the election to be held on the day proposed, and require the Assembly to meet within the period of seven days beginning immediately after the date of the poll.
	Subsections (16) to (17) amend section 37 of the Representation of the People Act 1983 and insert a new section 37ZA into the Representation of the People Act 1983. New section 37ZA provides that the poll for an ordinary local government election in Wales cannot take place on the same day as the poll for an Assembly ordinary general election and gives the Welsh Ministers a power to move the date of the poll for an ordinary local government election in Wales where that would otherwise be the case.
	Subsections (18) to (20) amend section 37B of the Representation of the People Act 1983 so that the Welsh Ministers’ power to change the date of a poll for an ordinary local government election in Wales to the same date as a poll at a European Parliamentary general election, does not apply if the date of the European Parliamentary general election is the same date as an Assembly ordinary general election.