(1) A register by reference to registration areas consisting of administrative counties and county boroughs shall be prepared and published in every year of persons who were entitled to be registered as electors on the qualifying date and, in so far as it relates to presidential electors, it shall be the register of presidential electors, in so far as it relates to Dáil electors, it shall be the register of Dáil electors, in so far as it relates to European electors, it shall be the register of European electors and, in so far as it relates to persons entitled to vote at local elections [and direct elections], it shall be the register of local government electors.

(2) Every register of electors shall come into force on the date specified for this purpose in the Second Schedule and shall remain in force until the day before the date on which the next register comes into force.

(3) A reference in any existing enactment (other than this Act) to the electors lists shall, as the case may require, be construed as a reference to the draft register prepared for the purposes of this Part, or the electors lists prepared, under section 16, by a registration authority the subject of a direction under that section.

(4) For the purposes of subsection (3) "existing enactment" means an enactment in operation at the time of the passing of this Act.