REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE Citation 1 These Regulations may be cited as the Elections Act 2022 (Commencement No. 10 and Savings) Regulations 2023. Provisions coming into force on 12th December 2023 2 The following provisions of the Elections Act 2022 come into force on 12th December 2023— a section 4 (handling of postal voting documents by political campaigners); b section 5 (handing in postal voting documents) so far as not already in force; c section 7 (requirement of secrecy); d section 12 (local elections and Assembly elections in Northern Ireland) so far as it relates to the provisions commenced by paragraph (e); e the following paragraphs of Schedule 6 (local elections in Northern Ireland and elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly)— i paragraph 1, so far as it relates to the provisions commenced by sub-paragraphs (ii) to (iv); ii paragraphs 2 to 5; iii paragraph 23, so far as it relates to paragraphs 25 and 27, and paragraphs 25 and 27; iv paragraph 34(a) and (d); v paragraph 35, so far as it relates to the provisions commenced by sub-paragraphs (vi) and (vii); vi paragraph 37; vii paragraph 40, so far as it relates to paragraph 41, and paragraph 41. Savings 3 1 The amendments made by the provisions listed in regulation 2 do not apply to an election or a referendum in relation to which the day of poll, as stated in the notice of election or referendum published in accordance with the relevant rule, is on or before 1st May 2024. 2 In paragraph (1) the “ relevant rule ” means (as the case may be)— a in the case of a parliamentary election or an election to the Northern Ireland Assembly, rule 5 of Schedule 1 to the Representation of the People Act 1983 ; b in the case of a local election in Northern Ireland, rule 4 of Schedule 5 to the Electoral Law Act (Northern Ireland) 1962 ; c the corresponding rule to the rule referred to in sub-paragraph (a) in the rules made under— i in the case of a combined authority mayoral election, paragraph 12(1)(a) of Schedule 5B to the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 ; ii in the case of a local authority mayoral election, section 9HE(1)(a) of the Local Government Act 2000 ; iii in the case of a referendum under Part 1A of the Local Government Act 2000, section 9MG(2) or (3) of that Act ; iv in the case of a referendum under Chapter 4ZA of Part 1 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, section 52ZQ(1) or (2) of that Act ; v in the case of a referendum under Schedule 4B to the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 , paragraph 16(1) of that Schedule; vi in the case of any other local government election, section 36 of the Representation of the People Act 1983 ; d in the case of a ward election in the City of London, section 6 of the Act of Common Council of 14th July 1960 . 3 In paragraph (2)— “ combined authority mayoral election ” means an election for the return of a mayor as provided for in an order made under Schedule 5B to the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009; “ local authority mayoral election ” means an election in England for the return of an elected mayor as defined by section 9H(1) of the Local Government Act 2000 ; “ local election ” has the same meaning as in section 130(1) of the Electoral Law Act (Northern Ireland) 1962 ; “ local government election ” has the same meaning as in section 203(1) of the Representation of the People Act 1983 . Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Jacob Young Parliamentary Under Secretary of State 20th November 2023 Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities