SCHEDULE 1A
Health Board elections
1Health Board elections
An election held under this Schedule is known as a "Health Board election".
2Timing of Health Board elections
(1) A Health Board must hold the first Health Board election in the Health Board area on the day specified in election regulations.
(2) Election regulations may specify different days for the first election in different Health Board areas.
(3) A Health Board must hold subsequent Health Board elections on the first Thursday falling after the end of the period of 4 years beginning with the day of the previous election.
(4) But a Health Board election may be held in a Health Board area before the day specified in sub-paragraph (3) if the Scottish Ministers make an order under section 77 specifying the date of a Health Board election in that area.
3Electoral wards
(1) Each Health Board area is to be comprised of a single electoral ward unless election regulations specify that a Health Board area is to be divided into more than one ward.
(a) the number of electoral wards in the Health Board area,
(b) the boundaries of those wards, and
(c) the number of elected members to be elected in each ward.
(a) the Scottish Ministers must consult the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland, and
(b) the Commission must give the Scottish Ministers advice about the boundaries of the electoral wards which the Health Board is to be divided into.
4Conduct of election
(1) Election regulations must appoint an individual as the returning officer for each ward in which a Health Board election is to be held.
(a) the tenure and vacation of office of a returning officer,
(b) the functions of a returning officer,
(c) a returning officer's fees and expenses,
(d) any other matters relating to returning officers that the Scottish Ministers consider appropriate.
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(a) within the period specified in election regulations (the "nomination period"), and
(b) in accordance with any other requirement made in those regulations.
(2) A candidate may withdraw from a Health Board election at any time before the end of the nomination period.
6 If, at the end of the nomination period, the number of nominated candidates in an electoral ward is equal to or less than the number of elected members to be elected for that ward—
(a) the Health Board election is not to be held in the ward, and
(i) declare the nominated candidates (if any) to be deemed to have been elected as elected members for the ward, and
(ii) if the number of nominated candidates is less than the number of elected members to be elected for the ward, declare the number of vacancies in the ward.
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(1) In any other case, the elected members are to be elected for the electoral ward at a poll held in accordance with this paragraph.
(a) the voter's first preference from among the candidates, and
(b) if the voter wishes to express a further preference for one or more candidates, the voter's second and, if the voter wishes, subsequent preferences from among those candidates.
(a) the manner in which and period during which votes may be cast,
(b) the form and content of ballot papers,
(c) the manner in which the number of votes which will secure the return of a candidate as an elected member is to be calculated,
(d) the procedure for counting votes,
(e) the declaration of the result of the poll.
8Candidates
(a) a member of the European Parliament,
(b) a member of the House of Commons,
(c) a member of the House of Lords,
(d) a member of the Scottish Parliament, or
(e) a local authority councillor.
(a) who is qualified to be a candidate in a Health Board election, and
(b) the circumstances in which an individual may be disqualified from being a candidate,
and, in particular, may disqualify from being a candidate an individual holding a post set out in a list of restricted posts maintained by the Health Board concerned for...
