Commentary on Sections Part 1: Elections Section 5 - Two voting systems
43.This section of the Act establishes that, in Wales, a simple majority system (commonly known as “first past the post”) or a single transferable vote system can be used in polls at contested elections for electing the councillors of a principal council.
44.Under section 36A of the 1983 Act (as inserted by section 13 of this Act), the Welsh Ministers have powers to make rules about how each system will work. The system that applies to a particular election is determined by section 7 and provision for principal councils to change from one system to another is made in sections 10 to 12.