Regulations have been laid to allow for the roll out of Automatic Voter Registration (AVR) across Wales in time for the 2027 Local Government elections, following the success of pilot programmes in Carmarthenshire, Gwynedd, Newport and Powys.
An independent evaluation by the Electoral Commission confirmed the pilots’ success, paving the way for the Welsh Government to lay the regulations. These are expected to come into force this Autumn.
Under the new system, local authorities will use data-matching to identify potential electors, notify them of the process and their right to opt out, and add eligible individuals to the local government electoral register. The change is designed to improve both the accuracy and completeness of the register, helping more people across Wales participate in local democracy.
Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning, Siân Gwenllian, said: “Wales is leading the way on Automatic Voter Registration in the UK. These regulations will help improve both the accuracy and completeness of the local government electoral register and are an important step towards strengthening our democracy.
“I would like to thank the Electoral Commission, the Association of Electoral Administrators and the Electoral Registration Officers and their teams for their invaluable help in developing AVR in Wales. I am grateful in advance for their continued co-operation as we prepare to implement it across all Welsh local authorities.
“We will continue to work closely with the electoral community to ensure the rollout is delivered carefully and effectively, providing the necessary support to all local authorities.”
