Wales trials automatic voter registration

Four local authorities across Wales are taking part in automatic voter registration pilots.

The pilots have been established under the Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Act 2024 and will test different approaches to registering voters without requiring formal applications. In this case, they will focus exclusively on the local government register.

Carmarthenshire and Powys will be making a replica of the local government register using locally held data. This will allow them to compare which data sources would best identify the local electorate, without changing the existing register.

Meanwhile, Gwynedd, Newport and Powys will identify and verify potential electors using council-held data, before adding them to the register. Gwynedd will also do additional outreach work targeting harder-to-reach communities.  

The Electoral Commission will evaluate the pilots by the end of this year, and the Welsh Government will consider the findings before making decisions on any nationwide implementation of automatic voter registration.

Cabinet secretary for housing and local government, Jayne Bryant, said: "By removing barriers to registration, this pioneering work is helping to ensure everyone can participate in our democratic process, particularly young people and traditionally underrepresented groups.  

"This initiative follows our extension of voting rights to 16 and 17-year-olds and qualifying foreign nationals for Senedd and local elections, demonstrating our ongoing commitment to a more inclusive democracy in Wales."