What you need to know about the new voting system for the Senedd election 2026

Published 03/02/2025   |   Last Updated 13/02/2025

The way you vote in Senedd elections is changing in 2026, and it promises to make your vote stronger than ever.

Let’s dive into what’s happening.

How will the way you vote change?

Starting in 2026, your voting paper (ballot) will change. You will have one vote to choose representatives for your constituency.

New voting process

  • You will have one ballot paper.
  • You will vote for either a political party or an independent candidate to represent  your constituency.
  • If a political party gets enough votes, they will win one or more seats in the Senedd.
  • If an independent candidate gets enough votes, they will win a seat in the Senedd.
  • Seats will better reflect the percentage of votes each party or candidate gets.

Old voting process 

  • You had two ballot papers.
  • On the first ballot you voted for a candidate to represent your local constituency.
  • On the second, you usually chose a political party to represent the region of Wales you live in.

 

 

After the election results are announced, every constituency in Wales will have six Members of the Senedd. There will be 96 Members in total, covering the whole of Wales.

Is my constituency changing?

Yes, from 2026 Wales will be divided into 16 new constituency areas. Here’s what you need to know:

The 16 new constituencies are not finalised yet. The Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru is responsible for deciding the new constituency areas and will publish the final boundaries by April 2025.

 

Previous Senedd election boundaries:

  • In previous Senedd elections there were 40 constituency areas in Wales, and five regions.

Changes coming in 2026:

  • In 2023, the number of constituencies in Wales for a UK General Election was reduced from 40 to 32.
  • At the next Senedd election, each of these 32 areas will be paired with another to create 16 constituencies.
  • Each of these 16 constituencies will elect six Members of the Senedd.

 

This change means increased representation for you and your community.

Every person in Wales will be represented by six Members of the Senedd, and you can contact any of them about issues in your area. Perhaps one of them has helped you before, or has an interest in your topic.

You could contact any individually, or all of them. The choice is yours.

You can find out who your current Members are here