Who administers direct democracy mechanisms at the national level?

POLITICALPARTIES, ELECTIONS AND REFERENDUMS ACT

(Adopted in 2000)

http://?www.?legislation.?gov.?uk/?ukpga/?2000/?41/?contents

PartI – The Electoral Commission

1Establishment of the Electoral Commission.

(1) There shall bea body corporate to be known as the Electoral Commission or, in Welsh, Comisiwn Etholiadol (in this Act referred to as “theCommission”).

5Reports on elections and referendums

(1) The Commissionshall, after –

each election to which section applies, and

each referendum to which Part VII applies,

prepare and publish(in such manner as the Commission may determine) a report on the administrationof the election or referendum.

PartVII – Referendums

ChapterI. Preliminary

101Referendums to which this Part applies.

(1) Subject to thefollowing provisions of this section, this Part applies to any referendum heldthroughout—

the United Kingdom;

one or more of England, Scotland, Wales andNorthern Ireland; or

any region in England specified in Schedule1 to the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998.

ChapterIV. Conduct of Referendums

128Chief Counting Officers, and counting officers, for referendums.

(1) This sectionhas effect in relation to any referendum to which this Part applies.

(2) There shall bea Chief Counting Officer for the referendum, who (subject to subsection (8))shall be—

the chairman of the Commission, or

if the chairman of the Commission appointssome other person to act as Chief Counting Officer for the referendum, theperson so appointed.

(3) The ChiefCounting Officer for the referendum shall appoint a counting officer for eachrelevant area in Great Britain.

(4) The localauthority in the case of each such area shall place the services of theirofficers at the disposal of the counting officer for the area for the purposeof assisting him in the discharge of his functions.

129Orders regulating conduct of referendums.

(1) The Secretaryof State may by order make such provision as he considers expedient for or inconnection with regulating the conduct of referendums to which this Partapplies.

More information about the Electoral Commission can be found at:

http://?www.?electoralcommission.?org.?uk/?about-?us

Governmental election commission is in charge of national referendums