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Regulations have been laid to allow for
the roll out of Automatic Voter Registration across
Wales ahead of the 2027
Local Government elections.
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An independent evaluation by the Electoral
Commission confirmed the success of pilot programmes in
Carmarthenshire, Gwynedd, Newport and
Powys.
Regulations have been laid to allow for the roll
out of Automatic Voter Registration (AVR) across Wales
in time for the 2027 Local Government elections, following
the success of pilot programmes in Carmarthenshire,
Gwynedd, Newport and Powys.
An independent evaluation by the Electoral Commission confirmed
the pilots' success, paving the way for the Welsh Government to
lay the regulations. These are expected to come into force this
Autumn.
Under the new system, local authorities will use data-matching to
identify potential electors, notify them of the process
and their right to opt out, and add eligible individuals to the
local government electoral register. The change is designed to
improve both the accuracy and completeness of the
register, helping more people across
Wales participate in local democracy.
Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning, Siân
Gwenllian, said: "Wales is leading the way on Automatic Voter
Registration in the UK. These regulations will help improve both
the accuracy and completeness of the local government electoral
register and are an important step towards
strengthening our democracy.
"I would like to thank the Electoral Commission, the Association
of Electoral Administrators and the Electoral
Registration Officers and their teams for their invaluable help
in developing AVR in Wales. I am grateful in
advance for their continued co-operation as we prepare to
implement it across all Welsh local authorities.
We will continue to work closely with the electoral
community to ensure the rollout is delivered carefully and
effectively, providing the necessary support to all local
authorities.
ENDS
Notes to editors
AVR pilots were held in Carmarthenshire,
Gwynedd, Newport and Powys: Automatic voter
registration pilots to take place in Wales | GOV.WALES
