Northern Ireland Assembly election, 2016

Next Northern Ireland Assembly election
5 May 2016
All 108 seats to the Northern Ireland Assembly
 
Leader Peter Robinson Gerry Adams Mike Nesbitt
Party DUP Sinn Féin UUP
Leader since 31 May 2008 13 November 1983 31 March 2012
Leader's seat Belfast East N/A Strangford
Last election 38 seats, 29.3% 29 seats, 26.3% 16 seats, 12.9%
Current seats 38 29 13
 
Leader Alasdair McDonnell David Ford
Party SDLP Alliance
Leader since 5 November 2011 6 October 2001
Leader's seat Belfast South South Antrim
Last election 14 seats, 13.9% 8 seats, 7.7%
Current seats 14 8
Incumbent First Minister

Peter Robinson
DUP

The next election to the Northern Ireland Assembly will occur on 5 May 2016, unless it is dissolved earlier.

Change of date

Under the Northern Ireland Act 1998 this election would have been held on 7 May 2015 at the latest. In May 2013, Theresa Villiers, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, announced elections will be held at fixed intervals of 5 years.[1] Section 7 of the Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 specifies that elections will be held on the first Thursday in May on the fifth (rather than fourth, as previously) calendar year following that in which its predecessor was elected.[2]

End of dual mandate

The Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 also ends the practice of dual mandate, prohibiting someone being elected to the assembly who is also a member of the UK House of Commons or the Irish Dáil Éireann.[2]

Earlier dissolution

There are several circumstances in which the Assembly could be dissolved before the date scheduled by virtue of section 31(1) of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.

Dissolution motion

Under section 32 of the 1998 Act, the Assembly can be dissolved if a resolution to such an effect is passed by the Assembly, with support of 72 or more members.

Failure to elect the First or Deputy First Ministers

The Act provides that if the Assembly fails to elect either the First Minister or deputy First Minister within six weeks, an election is called. Since the Northern Ireland (St Andrews Agreement) Act 2006 this has involved the nomination to the posts by the largest party overall and the largest party in the designation which the largest party overall is not a member respectively.

Seat distribution

Party Designation Seats won Current seats
Democratic Unionist Party Unionist 38 38
Sinn Féin Nationalist 29 29
Ulster Unionist Party Unionist 16 13
Social Democratic and Labour Party Nationalist 14 14
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland Other 8 8
Independent Unionist 1 2
Green Party in Northern Ireland Other 1 1
Traditional Unionist Voice Unionist 1 1
UKIP Unionist N/A 1
NI21 Unionist N/A 1

Opinion Polling

Date(s)
conducted 		Polling organisation/client Sample size DUPSF SDLP UUP All Others
22 May 20142014 Local Election Results 627,77723%24%14%16%6%17%
Sep 2013 Lucid Talk/Belfast Telegraph N/A 29% 26% 14% 11% 10% 10%
Jan 2013 IPSOS-MORI/BBC 1,046 24% 23% 19% 13% 10% 11%
2012 Life & Times[n 1] N/A 27% 19% 21% 16% 13% 3%
5 May 2011Assembly Election Results 661,736 29.3%26.3%13.9%12.9%7.7%9.9%

Note

  1. ↑ Asked about political party support, not with reference to a specific election.

References

  1. ↑ "Northern Ireland Assembly elections put back to 2016". BBC News Online. 2013-05-10. Retrieved 2013-05-11.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 legislation.gov.uk Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014