SP Bill 86 Session 5 (2020) 2 Scottish General Election (Coronavirus) Bill 4 Report on uptake of postal voting at closing date (1) The Scottish Ministers must prepare a report setting out, as at 7 April 2021— (a) the percentage of the total number of persons entitled to vote at the 2021 election who have been granted a postal vote for the election, and 5 (b) the number of pending applications for a postal vote for the election. (2) The Scottish Ministers must publish the report and lay it before the Scottish Parliament as soon as reasonably practicable after 7 April 2021. 5 Power to provide for all-postal vote (1) The Scottish Ministers may by regulations provide that the poll at the 2021 election is 10 to be held solely by means of postal voting. (2) Regulations under subsection (1) may make such provision as to the arrangements for the poll as the Scottish Ministers consider appropriate. (3) Regulations under subsection (1) may modify any enactment (including section 3(2) and (3) of, but excluding the rest of, this Act). 15 (4) Before making regulations under subsection (1), the Scottish Ministers must consult— (a) the Presiding Officer, (b) the Electoral Commission, (c) the convener of the Electoral Management Board for Scotland, and (d) the Chief Medical Officer of the Scottish Administration. 20 Other arrangements for 2021 election 6 Dissolution of current Parliament (1) For the purpose of the holding of the poll for the 2021 election, the Scottish Parliament is dissolved on 5 May 2021. (2) But subsection (1) is subject to section 11(8). 25 7 Dissolution of current Parliament: consequential modifications (1) In relation to the 2021 election, the 2015 Order has effect in accordance with the modifications in this section. (2) In article 80(1), the provision as to when a person becomes a candidate in relation to a Scottish parliamentary election has effect as if for the words from “on the date of” to 30 “issued” there were substituted “on the day which is 28 days before 6 May 2021, computed in accordance with rule 2 of the Scottish Parliamentary Election Rules (computation of time)”. (3) Paragraph 1(2)(a)(i) of schedule 1 has effect as if for the words “the date of the dissolution of the Parliament as provided for at section 2(3)(a) of the 1998 Act” there 35 were substituted “the day which is 28 days before the day of the poll at the election, computed in accordance with rule 2 of the Scottish Parliamentary Election Rules (computation of time)”. 3 Scottish General Election (Coronavirus) Bill 8 Power to provide for polling on additional days (1) The Scottish Ministers may by regulations provide that polling at the 2021 election is to take place on one or more specified days, as well as on the day of the poll. (2) A day may be specified only if it is one of the 8 days immediately succeeding the day 5 of the poll (but there is no requirement for it to be consecutive to the day of the poll or any other day so specified). (3) In subsections (1) and (2), “the day of the poll” means 6 May 2021 (or, where the Presiding Officer has exercised the power conferred by section 11(1), the day fixed by the Presiding Officer under that section for the holding of the poll for the 2021 election). 10 (4) Regulations under subsection (1) may specify particular days (or times on particular days) when specified descriptions or categories of persons entitled to vote in person at the 2021 election (whether as electors or as proxies) may vote. (5) Before making regulations under subsection (1), the Scottish Ministers must consult— (a) the Presiding Officer, 15 (b) the Electoral Commission, (c) the convener of the Electoral Management Board for Scotland, and (d) the Chief Medical Officer of the Scottish Administration. (6) Regulations under subsection (1) are without prejudice to the exercise (or, as the case may be, re-exercise) of the power conferred by section 11(1). 20 (7) The Scottish Ministers may by regulations modify the meaning of a relevant reference so far as it applies in relation to the 2021 election if regulations under subsection (1) are in effect. (8) Otherwise, the meaning of a relevant reference is not, in relation to the 2021 election, affected by regulations under subsection (1). 25 (9) In subsections (7) and (8) a “relevant reference” means a reference (however expressed) in the 2015 Order or any other enactment or document to the day or date of the poll at an election for membership of the Scottish Parliament.