Votes to be counted day after next Senedd election instead of overnight

Votes at next year’s Senedd election will be counted on the day after the poll, rather than overnight.

Wales’ Electoral Management Board has instructed Wales’ returning officers, the people in charge of running elections in Wales, to begin counting the votes after 9am (and before 11am) on Friday May 8 – the day following the election.

Daytime counts have become common practice in Wales, with votes for the 2021 Senedd election being counted during the daytime on the day following the election.

Daytime counts were also used for the 2024 Police and Crime Commissioner elections and 2022 council elections.

Shereen Williams MBE OStJ, who is the chief executive of the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru, said: “Returning officers and their teams are already working tirelessly to deliver a smooth and secure election on May 7.

“A daytime count helps to make sure that more people are able to watch the all-important counting of the votes.

“The clarity given will also help returning officers to recruit and manage the workload of their election staff.”

She continued: “The Electoral Management Board and the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru is grateful to returning officers and the Electoral Commission for their constructive feedback as we’ve developed these directions.

“We want more people from across Wales to be able to engage with this important election, and that includes watching the results come through.”

This article was originally published on November 8