UKRI Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) has awarded more than £1m to a research team from Aberystwyth and Swansea universities to lead the Welsh Election Study 2026 (WES 2026), a four-year project that will provide high-quality, impartial survey data on political attitudes and voting behaviour in Wales.
The collaboration brings together Dr Anwen Elias (Aberystwyth University), Professor Matt Wall and Dr Bettina Petersohn (Swansea University), working in partnership with the Wales Institute of Social Research and Data (WISERD), as part of the ESRC’s investment in data infrastructure for electoral research.
Professor Alison Park, Deputy Executive Chair of ESRC, said:
“ESRC is delighted to support the study of the 2026 Welsh election, which is a cornerstone of our commitment to the long-term importance of UK election studies. This targeted investment ensures that researchers, policymakers, and political communities across the UK continue to benefit from the rich insights these studies provide.
“Since 1999, the Welsh Election Study has been a vital lens into Welsh politics, elections, and voter behaviour. We look forward to seeing the insights from the next Welsh Election Study led by Swansea, building on the excellent work of the teams which preceded them.”
Titled ‘2026 Welsh Election Study: Place, Power, and Political Engagement’, the research team will oversee the collection and dissemination of original survey data covering the 2026 Senedd election, which is scheduled to take place on 7 May, and will be Wales’s first election under a new electoral system, increasing the number of Members from 60 to 96 and representing a seismic shift in Welsh democracy.
Professor Matt Wall from Swansea University said:
“I’m honoured to lead the next chapter of the Welsh Election Study. This is an exciting opportunity to deepen our understanding of political behaviour in Wales and to ensure that high-quality, accessible data supports informed public debate and effective policymaking.
“The survey will be designed to allow comparative analysis of the 2026 Welsh election across the UK and internationally. WES 2026 will make it possible to study place-politics in new ways. Drawing on the opportunities of geo-tagged, publicly available data and working with the Welsh social research community through our partnership with WISERD, the 2026 WES will see Wales at the cutting edge of electoral analysis techniques, prioritising data quality, accessibility, and impact.”
Dr Anwen Elias, a Reader in the Department of International Politics at Aberystwyth University, said:
“This project will track public opinion in Wales at a critical time for Welsh democracy – with the introduction of a new system for electing representatives to a larger Senedd, and the political changes that may come about as a result of these reforms. I’m thrilled to be part of the project team, which will work with decision-makers and young people to inform and share the findings of the research.”
WES 2026 draws on WISERD as a partner providing Wales-wide social research infrastructure – drawing on WISERD-curated data and analytical opportunities, as well as working with the WISERD Politics and Governance Research Network to involve the scholarly community.
The project will contribute to capacity-building and methodological innovation within Welsh-specific and UK-wide electoral research communities, aligning with ESRC’s broader objectives of enhancing the utility and reach of its funded data infrastructure.
Professor Adam Hedgecoe, Director of WISERD, said:
“WISERD is incredibly proud to add the Welsh election study to its portfolio of research projects, drawing on resources and expertise across a number of our constituent universities this is a great example of the collaborative, cross-institutional research that WISERD has pioneered in Wales.”
In the lead-up to the election, WES 2026 will launch a new website, podcast series, and school-based activities to inspire and engage young voters.
