Daytime count for Senedd election

Martin Shipton

Votes at the May 2026 Senedd election will be counted during the daytime on the day after the poll, following a direction by Wales’ Electoral Management Board.

The Electoral Management Board has instructed Wales’ Returning Officers, the people in charge of running elections in Wales, to begin counting the votes after 9am (and before 11am) on Friday, 8 May 2026, the day following the election.

Daytime counts have become common practice in Wales, with votes for the 2021 Senedd election being counted during the daytime on the day following the election.

Daytime counts were also used for the 2024 Police and Crime Commissioner elections and 2022 Local Government elections.

The Electoral Management Board has decided to continue with daytime counts following consultation with Returning Officers and the Electoral Commission.

It is hoped that counting votes on the following day will give more people the opportunity to keep up to date with developments as results are declared.

A daytime count also ensures election staff are well-rested, and that all resources are available to returning officers and their teams to carry out a secure, efficient, and successful count.

The direction from the Electoral Management Board also ensures consistency across Wales for when the counting of votes will take place.

Flexibility

While all counts must start between 9am and 11am on Friday 8 May and most constituencies will verify the number of ballots on 8 May, the direction gives flexibility to Returning Officers wishing to verify ballot papers immediately following the close of poll at 10pm on Thursday 7 May.

Verification refers to counting the number of ballot papers present to make sure it matches the number of ballot papers issued. The verification process does not include counting the number of votes for any candidate or party. It is expected that a small number of Returning Officers may choose to verify overnight.

The Electoral Management Board was established in 2025 (following the Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Act) to coordinate devolved elections in Wales.

It can issue legally-binding directions to Returning Officers and Electoral Registration Officers on the running of devolved elections.

Other directions issued by the Electoral Management Board include matters such as the colour of ballot papers, publication of election notices, and postal votes.

Chief Executive of the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru, Shereen Williams said: “Returning Officers and their teams are already working tirelessly to deliver a smooth and secure election on May 7.

“A daytime count helps to make sure that more people are able to watch the all-important counting of the votes.

“The clarity given will also help Returning Officers to recruit and manage the workload of their election staff.

“The Electoral Management Board and the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru is grateful to Returning Officers and the Electoral Commission for their constructive feedback as we’ve developed these directions.

“We want more people from across Wales to be able to engage with this important election, and that includes watching the results come through.”