Commentary on Sections Part 3 – Repeals of Welsh Legislation Part 18 – Welsh Elections (Coronavirus) Act 2021
207.The Welsh Elections (Coronavirus) Act 2021 (‘the 2021 Act’) was enacted to provide for measures relating to protection against coronavirus to apply to Senedd Cymru elections and local government elections due to be held in 2021.
208.The 2021 Act made provision enabling the postponement of the Senedd Cymru general election scheduled for 6 May 2021. The procedure for postponement could only be activated by a proposal of the First Minister setting out that he considered the postponement to be necessary or expedient for reasons relating to coronavirus. The proposal would then be subject to various processes before it would be rejected or approved by the Senedd. These powers were not exercised, and the general election took place, as scheduled on 6 May 2021.
209.The 2021 Act also made provision enabling Senedd or local government by-elections for vacancies that might have arisen to be postponed up to (but not later than) 5 November 2021. Those powers were not exercised, and no by-elections were postponed under the Act.
210.The 2021 Act only applied to the ordinary general election held in 2021 and does not apply to any subsequent elections to Senedd Cymru. Further the Act does not permit by-elections to be postponed past 5 November 2021. Therefore, the Act is now entirely spent.
211.Paragraph 60 of this Schedule to the Act therefore repeals the 2021 Act in full.