Automatic registration looking unlikely for next Senedd election

It will be a “tall order” to ensure that the automatic registration of voters is in place for the next Senedd election, the first minister has said.

The Welsh government had hoped to introduce the changes ahead of next May’s election.

The former cabinet member who helped drive the plans described Eluned Morgan’s comments as “disappointing”.

It is estimated that around 400,000 people in Wales are either missing or incorrectly registered.

Automatic voter registration would mean that voters would not have to register themselves in order to be able to vote.

Under the current system, voters must register to vote themselves.

Local authorities must then contact households to check that the existing electoral register is accurate and to invite residents to apply to be on the register.

The Senedd passed legislation to enable automatic voter registration last year.

When the new law was first proposed, the government’s counsel general at the time Mick Antoniw said the “ambition” was for the changes to be in place in time for the 2026 Senedd election.

Asked by Plaid Cymru Member of the Senedd (MS) Adam Price on Tuesday if the government was still committed to that timetable, Morgan said: “It is important to manage expectations around the ability to roll out those automatic registrations in time for the next election.”

Automatic registration pilot schemes currently under way in four local authorities are due to end in September and Morgan told the Senedd the results would then need to be evaluated by the Electoral Commission.

“I think we’ve got to be realistic and practical about what that means in practice, because there will be quite a lot of work to be done before there’s an ability to roll them out nationally,” she said.

“I think that it’s going to be a tall order within about three months.

“Local authorities have made it clear that they think that might be very difficult.”

Responding to the comments, Antoniw – now a backbench Labour MS – said: “It is very disappointing that it will not be in place for 2026 so we must redouble efforts to maximise registration under the current paper registration system that remains.”

Antoniw added that automatic registration “must” be in place for the 2027 local election.

Former Plaid leader Adam Price said the government could be accused of not wanting to register new voters might back Reform UK in next May’s election.

Mr Price said: “It’s not right that the government drops a policy they have committed to clearly in front of the Senedd, to the public.

“There will be some people who interpret it as there being some sort of electoral calculation behind this – and that’s going to reduce people’s trust, the opposite of the intention of the policy.”

The Welsh government declined to respond.

Jess Blair, director of Electoral Reform Society Cymru, described the news as “disappointing but not a surprise”.

“The timescale, set by the Welsh government themselves, has made this decision seem somewhat inevitable,” she said.

“The Welsh government should be clear.

“They should either show real leadership in making automatic registration happen or confirm as soon as possible what plans will be in place in its stead in just ten months’ time to ensure as many people as possible are registered to vote.”