Section 48 and Schedule 18: Powers to act for the protection of public health: Northern Ireland Section 59: Elections and referendums due to be held in England in period after 15 March 2020
This section deals with polls for relevant elections or referendums that are required to be held in the period beginning on 16th March 2020 and ending a month after the Coronavirus Bill obtained Royal Assent (25th March 2020), but which are not held during that period. The intention is to cover polls that were due to be held during that period but were cancelled following the Prime Minister’s announcement about the cancellation of the polls scheduled for 7th May 2020. The elections and referendums that are relevant here are local government by-elections in England and any referendum in connection with a neighbourhood development plan.
	The main purpose of the section is to remove any criminal liability that could otherwise be incurred under section 63 of the Representation of the People Act 1983 (the "1983 Act") by returning officers, registration officers, presiding officers or others for breach of their official duties in connection with the failure to hold the poll. The section also disapplies section 39 of the 1983 Act, which could otherwise apply in relation to local government election polls that are abandoned for any reason.
	The territorial extent of this section is England and Wales only and application is England only.