Everyone in Wales is represented by six Members of the Senedd (MSs). This page explains how the voting system works and how seats are allocated.
How many Members represent my area?
Wales is split into 16 voting areas called constituencies, which all have roughly the same number of people living in them.
Each constituency has six ‘seats’ in the Senedd, which means after an election they will each have six Members, giving a total of 96 Members across Wales.
If a political party wins enough votes, they will win one or more of the six seats in a constituency. If an independent candidate gets enough votes they will also win a seat.
How does voting work at a Senedd election?
At the 2026 Senedd election Wales began using new voting system called a ‘closed proportional list system.’
This system means the number of seats a party or independent candidate wins more closely reflects the percentage of votes they get.
The voting process
- Before the election, political parties prepare a ranked list of up to eight candidates for each constituency. Independent candidates can also stand for election.
- On election day, everyone aged 16 and over can cast one vote for the party or independent candidate they want to represent their constituency.
- The ballot paper shows the candidate lists for each area, so you can see the names of the people standing for each party, along with any independent candidates.
How are seats allocated?
After voting closes, seats are allocated according to the proportion of votes each party or independent candidate receives.
For example:
- If Party A received 50% of the votes in a constituency, it is likely they would get three of the six seats.
- If Party B gets 30%, it is likely they would get two of the six seats.
The exact allocation of seats is calculated using the D’Hondt formula.
When a party wins multiple seats, the candidates are elected in the order they appear on the party's list. For example, if a party wins three seats, the first three candidates on its list become Members of the Senedd.
Independent candidates will also win seats if they have enough votes.
For a more in-depth look at how this works, see What is the D’Hondt formula?
Election results
Explore the results from Senedd elections and by-elections.
