SENEDD ‘26

The elections to the Senedd in May promise to be the most significant since its inception 25 years ago. How should churches and churchgoers approach them?

For a start, we will be electing many more Senedd members than before on May 7th. The number of seats in the parliament is rising from 60 to 96, an increase of 60%. Also, the number of voters – and the way they cast their votes – are both changing too.

For the first time, 16- and 17-year-olds will be able to vote and they – like everyone else - will do so in 16 constituencies, replacing the previous mix of constituencies and regional lists. Everyone has one vote. Votes will be cast for either a political party or, alternatively, an independent candidate. All the candidates standing in your area for each party will be listed on the ballot paper alongside any Independents. In all, six members will be elected in each constituency, based on a new system known as Closed Proportional Representation, which seeks to ensure that those elected reflect more accurately the number of votes cast for each party.

Cytûn (Churches Together in Wales) has published a package of resources to help churches and church communities better understand the voting system (it’s complicated!).

It also offers practical guidance for churches wishing to support democratic engagement in their communities - from hosting hustings events and encouraging voter registration to engaging with candidates on issues that matter locally, including faith-related issues.

The briefings can be downloaded in English and/or Welsh from the Cytûn website at https://www.cytun.co.uk/en/elections-2026/