Senedd Election 2026

I weld y dudalen hon yn Gymraeg, cliciwch yma.

A Senedd election will take place on Thursday, 7th May 2026.

You must be registered to vote at your current address to be able to vote in the Senedd election.

What is a Senedd election?

Senedd Cymru / Welsh Parliament is the national parliament of Wales. Elections to the Senedd usually happen every 5 years.

Members of the Senedd (MSs) are elected in a Senedd election. At the 2026 election, 96 MSs will be elected to represent 16 constituencies - meaning there will be 6 members per constituency.

The party (or group of parties) with the most support forms the Welsh Government, and the leader of the government becomes the First Minister of Wales.

The Senedd has wide-ranging powers to make laws and decisions on important areas of life in Wales, including:

How the NHS works
Funding for education, schools and colleges
Tuition fee and student support levels for Welsh students
Transport initiatives
Housing
The environment

How do I register to vote in the Senedd election?

You need to register to vote on the UK Government’s website: https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. You can also find information about registering using a paper form on this website.

You will be asked to provide your name, your date of birth, your nationality, your address(es) and your National Insurance number.

If you do not know your National Insurance number, you can get assistance in finding it here: https://www.gov.uk/lost-national-insurance-number

The deadline to register to vote in the Senedd election is midnight on Monday 20th April 2026.

How old do I have to be to vote in the Senedd election?

You need to be aged 16 or over on polling day to be able to vote in a Senedd election.

So, if you were born on or before 7th May 2010, you're eligible to vote in the Senedd election.

You can register to vote in Wales from the age of 14 and over.

I'm an international student. Can I vote?

Yes, international students who are resident in Wales are able to vote in Senedd elections as long as they are registered to vote.

If you are an international student studying in Wales, make sure you register to vote by the deadline of midnight on Monday 20th April.

Can I register to vote at two addresses?

Yes, students are allowed to register to vote at more than one address. However, you can only vote at one address in a Senedd election.

We know that students often split their time between their term-time address and their home address, so it's important that you are registered at both.