WALES waits for results as first election under new voting system reaches count stage
COUNTING is underway across Wales today as voters await the results of one of the most important Senedd elections since devolution.
Ballot boxes were opened this morning after polling stations closed at 10:00pm on Thursday (May 7), with all 16 new Senedd constituencies now counting votes under a completely changed electoral system.
For the first time, Wales is electing 96 Members of the Senedd, up from 60, with six MSs to be returned in each constituency.
Voters had one ballot paper and one vote, choosing a party or independent candidate rather than voting for an individual constituency candidate and a regional list, as happened under the previous system.
Seats will be allocated using the D’Hondt method, meaning the final results in each area may depend on narrow margins between parties.
The new system has also created new political battlegrounds, including Ceredigion Penfro, which brings together large parts of Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion.
Locally, attention will be on how Labour, Plaid Cymru, the Conservatives, Reform UK, the Liberal Democrats, Greens and independents perform in what has been one of the most unpredictable elections in recent Welsh history.
The election comes at a critical moment for Welsh politics, with Labour seeking to retain its long-standing dominance in Cardiff Bay, Plaid Cymru hoping to make major gains, Reform UK looking to break through, and the Conservatives fighting to hold ground after a difficult period nationally.
Because each constituency elects six members, the count is not simply a case of declaring one winner. Officials must calculate how many seats each party has won, and then allocate those seats to candidates in the order they appear on party lists.
That means list position is crucial. If a party wins one seat, its first-placed candidate is elected. If it wins two, the first two names on its list are returned.
Results are expected throughout Friday, although close contests and possible recounts could delay some declarations.
The outcome will determine not only who represents Wales in the next Senedd, but also who is best placed to form the next Welsh Government.
More to follow as results are declared.
