3Purpose

1. The purpose of this Act is to modernise the law governing the conduct of local elections and polls and, in doing this, to—

2. provide sufficient flexibility in the law to readily accommodate new technologies and processes as they are developed (through the use of regulations to prescribe matters of detail that will be the subject of future change); and
3. adopt uniform rules in relation to—
   1. the timing of local elections; and
   2. the right of individuals to vote, stand for election, and nominate candidates for election; and
   3. the appointment, powers, and duties of electoral officers and other electoral officials; and
   4. the compilation of electoral rolls; and
   5. the procedures to be adopted for the conduct of elections and polls; and
   6. offences against this Act and penalties for those offences; and
   7. disputed elections; and
   8. electoral expenses; and
   9. extraordinary vacancies; and
4. allow diversity (through local decision-making) in relation to—
   1. the particular electoral system to be used for local elections and polls; and
   2. the regular review of representation arrangements for local authorities; and
   3. the particular voting method to be used for local elections and polls; and
5. implement the principles set out in section 4.