Here's what you need to know:
For 25 years, the number of Members in the Senedd has stayed the same, even though it now has more responsibilities, like full law-making powers and the ability to change some taxes in Wales.
Having more Members will help the Senedd better review and challenge the Welsh Government’s plans and spending on important issues like hospitals, education, and transport.
This will give your community a stronger voice in these decisions.
With 96 Members, the number of representatives you’ll have in the Senedd comes in line with other countries of a similar size to Wales - like Scotland which has 129 Members and Northern Ireland which has 90.
What's new?
Voters will elect 96 Members.
You will have six Members representing you in the Senedd.
Candidates standing for election must live in Wales.
If you’re over the age of 16, you can vote in the 2026 Senedd Election.
You will get one vote to choose representatives for your community in the Senedd.
The new voting system is called a ‘closed proportional list system’. This means you vote for a political party or an independent candidate, rather than individual people.
The ballot paper will show the full list of candidates in your constituency, so you can still see who you're voting for.
If a party wins enough votes, they will win one or more seats in the Senedd. If an independent candidate wins enough votes, they will win a seat in the Senedd.
Seats will reflect the percentage of votes each party or independent candidate gets.
What's new?
You will have a single vote and ballot paper to choose your representatives in the Senedd, instead of two separate ballots as in previous elections.
When you vote, you choose the political party or independent candidate you want to represent you.
From 2026, Senedd elections will happen every four years.
Each of these new constituencies will have six Members, making a total of 96 Members elected to the Senedd.
The Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru is responsible for deciding the new constituency areas and will publish the final boundaries in spring 2025.
What's new?
Wales will have 16 constituencies.
Each constituency will elect six Members of the Senedd.
The next Senedd election will be held on or before 7 May 2026.
The changes to the Senedd have undergone multiple public consultations:
For further information about the history of reforms to the Senedd, please see the Research Service article: Senedd reform - the story so far.
The Senedd’s debating chamber, the Siambr, will be altered to accommodate all 96 Members. Work will start in April 2025 and be completed in Spring 2026.
