Commentary on provisions of Act Section 3: Elections
Section 3 splits the elections reservation at Section B3 of Part 2 to Schedule 5 to the Scotland Act 1998 into two parts: B3(A) and B3(B).
	Section B3(A) covers all matters concerning elections for membership of the House of Commons and the European Parliament to include who may stand or vote in those elections, procedures under which votes are counted and candidates returned, and what the constituencies and timings of those elections should be.
	New section B3(B) reserves certain matters in relation to elections for membership of the Scottish Parliament and local government elections in Scotland.
	Paragraph 1 reserves the subject-matter of sections 2(2A) and 12A of the Scotland Act 1998.
	Paragraph 2 reserves the subject-matter of section 43(1AA) of the Representation of the People Act 1983.
	Paragraph 3 reserves:
the combination of polls at elections or referendums that are outside the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament with polls at (i) Scottish Parliamentary elections or (ii) local government elections in Scotland; and
the combination of polls at ordinary Scottish Parliamentary general elections with polls at ordinary local government elections in Scotland .
	The reservation at paragraph 4 provides that the Individual Electoral Registration Digital Service for applications for registration or for verifying information contained in applications for registration in relation to elections for membership of the Scottish Parliament or local government elections in Scotland is reserved.
	The reservation at paragraph 5 sets out the subject-matter of those provisions in the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 ("the 2000 Act") which are reserved in relation to elections for the membership of the Scottish Parliament.
	The reservation at paragraph 6 covers campaign expenditure by political parties, controlled expenditure and donations to third parties, but only where the regulated period in respect of such expenditure for elections to the Scottish Parliament overlaps with the regulated period for elections for membership of the House of Commons or European Parliament.
	The subject matter of sections 1 to 4 of the 2000 Act, which relate to the establishment and constitution of the Electoral Commission are reserved; however many of the Electoral Commission’s general functions and enforcement functions under Parts 1 and 10 of the 2000 Act are not reserved in relation to elections for membership of the Scottish Parliament.