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With the Senedd Election fast approaching, the candidates standing for election have all been confirmed.

The candidates for each of Wales’ 40 constituencies have been announced, and so have the candidates standing in the regional seats.

But what is the difference between a constituency and a region?

For Senedd Elections, Wales is divided into 40 constituencies. Each constituency elects one Senedd Member.

Each constituency elects their Senedd Member using a first past the post system, meaning whichever candidate wins the most votes in that constituency is elected.

In the last Senedd Election, which was held in 2016, Hefin David was elected to represent the Caerphilly constituency, Rhianon Passmore the Iswlyn constituency and Dawn Bowden the Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney constituency.

In total, the Senedd is made up of 60 Senedd Members. 40 of these are elected to represent a constituency, while the remaining 20 are elected to represent the five regions of Wales.

The three constituencies within Caerphilly County Borough are all part of the South Wales East region.

Each region elects four regional Senedd Members.

How are regional Senedd Members elected?

Voters can tick two boxes on their ballot paper. The first box is for the candidate they wish to see elected as their constituency Senedd Member. The second box is for the regional seat.

For the regional seat, voters will vote for a party.

Each party submits a list of candidates, ranked in order.

In total, four regional Senedd Members will be elected in the South Wales East region.

But which Senedd Members are elected through the regional vote isn’t necessarily a case of whoever gets the most votes. A formula is used to determine who is elected.

The system is designed to give more representation to parties who wouldn’t otherwise be elected through the first past the post system.

Each party’s total number of votes is divided by one, plus the number of constituency Senedd Members it has elected in the region.

The party with the highest total after this method then has its highest ranking candidate elected as a regional Senedd Member. The process is carried out again and again until four Senedd Members are elected.

The South Wales East region includes the constituencies of Caerphilly, Islwyn, Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney, Newport West, Newport East, Blaenau Gwent, Torfaen and Monmouth.

Who are the regional candidates for each party?

Each party’s list of candidates for the South Wales East region are as follows:

Abolish The Welsh Assembly Party:

1. Mark Reckless

2. Richard Taylor

3. Stephen Jones

4. Michael Ford

5. Robert Steed

6. Hugh Moelwyn Hughes

Britain’s Communist Party:

1. Rob Griffiths

2. Bob Davenport

3. Glenn Eynon

4. Irene Green

Conservatives:

1. Laura Anne Jones

2. Natasha Asghar

3. Matthew Evans

4. Nick Evans

5. Gavin Chambers

6. Edward Dawson

7. Donna Gavin

8. Gareth Hughes

Gwlad – The Welsh Independence Party

1. Calen Jones

2. Laurence Williams

3. Ryan Williams

4. Terry Beverton

No More Lockdowns

1. Gruff Meredith

2. Mattie Ginsberg

Plaid Cymru 

1. Delyth Jewell

2. Peredur Owen Griffiths

3. Lindsay Whittle

4. Rhys Mills

5. Jonathan Clark

6. Ian Gwynne

7. Daniel Llewelyn

Propel

1. Kieran Gething

2. Anthony Nash

3. Celia Jones

4. Kristopher Ashley

Reform UK

1. James Wells

2. Kirsty Walmsley

3. David Rowlands

4. Colin Jones

5. Robert Beavis

UKIP

1. Neil Hamilton

2. Benjamin Walker

3. Thomas Harrison

4. Robert James

Wales Green Party

1. Amelia Womack

2. Ian Chandler

3. Lauren James

4. Stephen Priestnall

Labour

1. Helen Cunningham

2. Peter Jones

3. Mary Ann Brocklesby

4. Majid Rahman

Liberal Democrats:

1. Jo Watkins

2. Veronica German

3. Oliver Townsend

4. Jez Becker

Welsh Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition:

1. Mariam Kamish

2. Cammilla Mngaza

3. Melanie Benedict

4. Dave Reid