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“Once-in-a-generation” plans to reform the Senedd have now passed into law after gaining Royal Assent.
The Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Act, approved in May by a supermajority of Senedd Members, will bring an increase in the number of MSs and changes to the way they’re elected.
The changes will come into force for the 2026 Senedd election.
What changes is the Bill proposing?
Currently, the Senedd is made up of 60 Senedd Members. Of these 60, 40 represent constituencies, while 20 represent regions.
Under the new system, the Senedd would have 96 Senedd Members, who would be elected using the D’Hondt formula. The first past the post system would be scrapped.
What is a regional Senedd Member and how are they elected?
At Senedd Elections, voters have two ballot papers. The first is to vote for a candidate to represent a constituency. Wales is divided into 40 constituencyes, each electing one Senedd Member using a first past the post system.
The second ballot is to vote for a party to represent the region. Wales is divided into five regions, each electing four regional Senedd Members.
Each party submits a list of candidates for the regions, ranked in order.
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.
How would the D’Hondt formula work?
The D’Hondt method is used in many countries across the globe, including Belgium, Brazil, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey and many more. It is also used in European Union elections.
The method would see all parties submit a list of candidates in each constituency, ranked in order. The system is designed to give more representation to parties who wouldn’t otherwise be elected through the first past the post system.
The party with the highest total of votes would have its highest ranking candidate elected as a Senedd Member. That party then has their number of votes divided by the number of seats they have already won in that constituency.
The total votes cast for each party in the constituency is divided, first by one, then by two, then three, up to the total number of seats to be allocated for the constituency, which is six.
Whichever party is top after this then gets their highest ranking candidate elected. The process would be carried out again and again until six Senedd Members are elected.
Under this system, it would be highly unlikely that any one party would be able to win all six vacancies in any given constituency. It would likely be split between representatives from multiple parties.
The number of constituencies would be reduced from 40 to 32, while regions would be scrapped.
The 32 new constituencies would be paired to create 16 constituencies, each with six Senedd Members.
The Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru, which is an independent body, will be responsible for choosing which constituencies to pair.
The reforms also include a law requiring all Senedd Members and candidates to actually live in Wales, while elections will be held every four years instead of the current five.
There are also commitments to review the changes after the 2026 election, and to look into the possibility of job-sharing.
“Historic moment for democracy”
Speaking after the bill gained Royal Assent on Monday June 24, First Minister Vaughan Gething said: “This is an historic moment for democracy in Wales.
“During 25 years of Welsh devolution, the Senedd gained greater responsibilities, including law-making and tax-varying powers, but its capacity did not keep pace and that had to change.
“These once-in-a-generation reforms will redress that imbalance to create a modern Senedd that better reflects 21st century Wales.”
Mick Antoniw, who is the Welsh Government’s counsel general or chief legal adviser, also welcomed the reforms.
He said: “Wales is currently the most under-represented country in the UK. This landmark legislation will strengthen our democracy to better serve people in Wales, both in the Senedd and in our local communities across Wales.
“It was forged in the fires of the Senedd’s scrutiny to ensure that our Welsh Parliament has the capacity it needs to examine laws, review spending plans, and ensure we deliver for the people of Wales.”
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