Voter information website to be launched ahead of Senedd Election

A new voter information website will be launched ahead of the Senedd election after polling revealed that a majority of people in Wales lack confidence that they have the information they need to vote.

The Electoral Management Board for Wales will launch vote.wales in March, two months before voters go to the polls on 7 May. The site is intended to act as a central source of trusted information about the election, how voting works and who is standing for election.

The move follows new polling which found that 51% of people aged 16 and over in Wales do not feel confident they have all the information they need ahead of the Senedd election.

The survey was carried out by Survation and commissioned by the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru, which is responsible for the Electoral Management Board.

Only 16% of respondents said they had a great deal of confidence that they had enough information to make a voting decision, while just 13% felt very confident that they knew where to find information about changes to this year’s election.

At least a quarter of those surveyed said uncertainty about how the Senedd election works would make them less likely to vote.

The polling also highlighted gaps in public confidence around accessing reliable information.

Around 35% of people said they were not confident they knew where to find information about candidates standing in their area, while 28% lacked confidence in finding trusted information about Welsh elections more broadly.

When asked where they would look for information, 49% said local or Welsh news websites were good sources for learning about candidates.

Official information from the Electoral Commission was cited by 43%, while 42% said they would use their local council’s website.

Other sources included national party websites or campaign materials (41%), social media posts from political parties or candidates (30%), third-party websites such as “Who Can I Vote For?” (23%), and asking for information at a polling station (15%).

The vote.wales website is designed to bring much of this information together in one place. The website will explain how to vote, what the Senedd does, how the election system works, who the candidates are and what they stand for, alongside guidance on key election-related topics.

‘Lack of information’

Commenting on the findings, Shereen Williams, Chief Executive of the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru said: “Everybody should have the chance to vote confidently at this year’s Senedd election, but a quarter of people in Wales are less likely to use their vote because of a lack of information.

“Giving people the information they need and building up their voting confidence is why we are launching vote.wales in March this year.

“If you have questions about how to vote, where to vote, or who to vote for, or you want to know how the new voting system works, or what the Senedd does, you’ll be able to find your answers on vote.wales from early March.”