Welsh Government to trial automatic voter registration in local government elections

The Welsh Government is set to trial automatic voter registration in Senedd and local government elections in a bid to improve voter participation.

Under the new proposals anyone who is eligible would be added to the electoral register automatically by their local authority.

This will make voting simpler, especially for young people and for those who have moved to Wales from another country, the Welsh Government said.

As part of the trial, the Welsh Government is proposing to work with a number of local authorities to run a series of pilots focusing on how best to collect data and use existing data to support automatic registration, and will be inviting local authorities to take part in pilot projects.

Views are also being sought on how best to improve registration rates for students and young people, who have a proportionately lower rate of registration and participation.

Other areas being considered are the accessibility of information on parties and candidates, the equipment available to help disabled people vote, and the digitization of elections in Wales.

Mick Antoniw, Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution, said: "We want it to be as easy as possible to vote, with people able to play their full part in our democracy."

He later added: "I’m proud to say that since we assumed responsibility for local and Senedd elections in 2017 we have lowered the voting age to 16 and enfranchised qualifying foreign nationals. As part of building a 21st century electoral system, the time is now right to accelerate our ambitious long-term vision for electoral reform in anticipation of the next major devolved and local elections in 2026 and 2027."

Adam Carey