To vote in Senedd elections you must:
- Be registered (www.gov.uk/register-to-vote)
- Be 16 or older on the day of the election
- Live in Wales
What’s Changed About the Voting System?
Wales is now using a ‘closed proportional list system’
- You get one vote
- You vote for a political party or an independent candidate - not for an individual
- The ballot paper will show the list of candidates for each party in your constituency
Each of the 16 newly drawn constituencies will elect six Members of the Senedd (MSs).
How Are Candidates Elected?
Seats are awarded using the D’Hondt formula, which ensures proportional representation.
- Parties or independents receive seats based on the number of votes they get
- Votes are divided by the number of seats a party has already won, plus one
- This process happens in rounds. In each round, the party or independent with the highest total wins the next seat
- Once a party wins a seat, its vote total is adjusted (divided by the new seat total + 1) for the next round
Candidates are then elected in order from each party’s list or as independents if they receive enough support.