The Local Elections (Wales) (Amendment) Rules 2026

105

In Appendix 2 (ballot paper)—

• (a) in the form of front of ballot paper—

• (i) in the first paragraph, after “[insert the name of the community council]” insert “– [insert name of electoral area]”;

• (ii) in the second paragraph—

• (aa) for “the box next to your choice” substitute “the voting box next to your choice”;

• (bb) for “the box next to each of your choices” substitute “the voting box next to each of your choices”;

• (iii) the candidates’ names are amended as follows—

• (aa) for “JAMES, Lisa” substitute “THOMAS, Rhiannon”;

• (bb) for “THOMAS, Gareth” substitute “SINGH, Mushaq”;

• (cc) for “THOMAS RICHARDS, Angharad” substitute “DAVID, Brandon”;

• (dd) for “WYATT, Cath” substitute “PAINTER, Heather”;

• (b) in the form of back of ballot paper, in the form of direction as to printing the ballot paper—

• (i) in paragraph 3(a), after “[insert the name of the community council]” insert “– [insert name of electoral area]”;

• (ii) in paragraph 3(b)—

• (aa) for “the box next to your choice” substitute “the voting box next to your choice”;

• (bb) for “the box next to each of your choices” substitute “the voting box next to each of your choices”.

106

In Appendix 4 (postal voting statements)—

• (a) in the form of postal voting statement for use where there is a joint issue and receipt of postal ballot papers, in the instructions on marking the ballot paper and completing the postal voting statement, in instruction 2, for “box”, in both places it occurs, substitute “voting box”;

• (b) in the form of postal voting statement for use where polls are combined but the issue and receipt of postal ballot papers is not combined, in the instructions on marking the ballot paper and completing the postal voting statement, in instruction 2, for “box”, in both places it occurs, substitute “voting box”.

107

In Appendix 5 (poll cards)—

• (a) in the official poll card to be sent or delivered to an elector voting in person, on the back of card, in the second paragraph, for “box” substitute “voting box”;

• (b) in the official proxy poll card to be sent or delivered to a proxy voting in person, on the back of card, in the third paragraph, for “box” substitute “voting box”.

108

In Appendix 6 (guidance for voters at combined polls)—

• (a) in direction 3, for “box” substitute “voting box”;

• (b) at the end of the form, after the final paragraph, insert—

Voting is secret. Do not let anyone see how you have voted. If you make a mistake or need some help, just ask the staff.

109

In Appendix 8 (form of declaration to be made by the companion of a voter with disabilities)—

• (a) in the title of the form, for “disabilities” substitute “severe sight impairment or other disability or inability to read”;

• (b) in the second paragraph, after “[insert name of voter being assisted]” insert “ **”;

• (c) in the fourth paragraph, for “disabilities” substitute “severe sight impairment or other disability or inability to read”;

• (d) in the asterisked paragraph, for “disabilities” substitute “severe sight impairment or other disability or inability to read”;

• (e) after the asterisked paragraph insert—

*The name of the voter is not to be added when the voter has an anonymous entry. Instead, only the voter’s number is to be added (see note 3*).

• (f) in the notes to the form of declaration to be made by the companion of a voter with disabilities at the election of councillors to a community council—

• (i) in the heading of the notes, for “disabilities” substitute “severe sight impairment or other disability or inability to read”;

• (ii) for note 1 substitute—

(1) The voter’s number is that person’s number in the register to be used at the election or, pending publication of the register, that person’s number, if any, in the electors lists for that register. The voter’s number can be found on the poll card which was sent to them shortly after the election was announced or can be checked by contacting the registration officer.

• (iii) after note 2 insert—

(3) Where the voter has an anonymous entry, only the voter’s number in the copies of the registration records, and not the voter’s name, is to be entered in the list of voters with disabilities assisted by companions.

Signed

Jayne Bryant — Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government, one of the Welsh Ministers — 11 March 2026

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Rules)

EXPLANATORY NOTE

These Rules, the Local Elections (Wales) (Amendment) Rules 2026, amend—

Amendments to the Principal Areas Rules and the Communities Rules

The Principal Areas Rules and the Communities Rules set out the rules for the conduct of elections of councillors to principal and community councils in Wales. Both sets of rules contain two Schedules. The Schedules set out the detailed rules for conducting elections, which differ slightly depending on whether the poll for an election is combined with the poll of another election. Parts 2 and 3 of these Rules set out the amendments to the rules contained in those Schedules.

Rules 4, 32, 61 and 86 amend the rules on nomination papers to allow candidates to include a description in their nomination papers that is a joint description that has been registered by more than one registered political party.

Rules 5, 33, 62 and 87 amend the rules enabling the returning officer to correct minor errors in nomination papers and home address forms. As the prescribed nomination papers do not require candidates to include their electoral numbers, the rules enabling returning officers to correct minor errors in connection with electoral numbers are omitted.

Rules 6, 34, 63 and 88 amend the rules on the inspection of nomination papers to require the returning officer to take reasonable steps to ensure that those forms can be inspected where they have been delivered electronically.

Rules 7, 35, 64 and 89 amend the rules on the inspection of home address forms to require the returning officer to take reasonable steps to ensure those forms can be inspected by the qualifying persons where they have been delivered electronically.

Rules 8, 36, 65 and 90 amend the rules in relation to ballot papers to require the words “Wales”, “Welsh”, “Cymru” or “Cymreig” to be included on the ballot paper as part of a description where a candidate has requested their use during the nomination process.

Rules 9, 37, 66 and 91 amend the rules in relation to the use of schools and public rooms for the purposes of conducting the poll so that the use of a room in an unoccupied building for that purpose does not render a person liable to pay any council tax or non-domestic rates.

Rules 10, 38, 67 and 92 amend the rules on the appointment of presiding officers and clerks to clarify that a presiding officer may not authorise clerks to order the arrest of any person at a polling station.

Rules 11, 39, 68 and 93 amend the rules dealing with the equipment that must be provided at polling stations. The amendments make further provision in relation to the use of electronic versions of the registers of electors, lists of postal and proxy voters and the corresponding number lists. They also amend the requirements in relation to the equipment that must be provided to assist people to vote independently.

Rules 12, 13, 40, 41, 69, 70, 94 and 95 amend the rules on the appointment of polling and counting agents to facilitate the use of e-mail addresses for these agents.

Rules 14, 42, 71 and 96 amend the rules in relation to the sealing of ballot boxes to amend the reference to the returning officer’s seal to a reference to the presiding officer’s seal.

Rules 15, 43, 72 and 97 replace the rules setting out the questions that can be asked of persons who attend at the polling station to vote. These rules are amended to make it clear that the questions can be asked in Welsh or English, and the amended rules set out the text of the questions in both languages.

Rules 16, 17, 44, 45, 73, 74, 98 and 99 amend the rules in relation to voters with a disability or who are unable to read to replace all references to blindness with references to severe sight impairment.

Rules 18, 46, 75 and 100 amend the rules on tendered ballot papers to clarify that the questions referred to in paragraph (1) of those rules are the questions that may be asked in accordance with rule 40.

Rules 19, 47, 76 and 101 amend the rules detailing the procedure that must be followed on the close of the poll. The amendments—

Rules 20, 21, 48, 49, 77 and 102 amend the rules in relation to the declaration of the election results to require the returning officer to give the declaration and provide the public notice of the results in both Welsh and English. The rules are also amended to enable the returning officer to use any commonly used surnames or forenames of candidates when making the declaration of the results and providing the public notice of those results, where those commonly used surnames or forenames were included on the statement of persons nominated.

Rules 22, 50, 78 and 103 amend the rules on the delivery of documents to the registration officer following the election to clarify that those documents are to be delivered securely and thereafter stored securely, and to set out the information that must be included on the packets in which the documents are so delivered.

Rules 23 to 30, 51 to 58, 79 to 84 and 104 to 109 amend the appendices to the rules which contain the prescribed text for the forms to be used at local government elections to reflect amendments made to the substantive rules and to clarify certain elements of the forms.

Amendments to the Communities Rules

Rule 59 amends rule 5(12) of the Communities Rules which deals with the filling of casual vacancies of community councillors. The amendment provides that for the purposes of rule 5, a councillor’s final six months in office is the period of six months ending on the fourth day after the next ordinary election of community councillors.

The Welsh Ministers’ Code of Practice on the carrying out of Regulatory Impact Assessments was considered in relation to these Rules. As a result, a regulatory impact assessment has been prepared as to the likely costs and benefits of complying with these Rules. A copy can be obtained from the Welsh Government, Cathays Park, Cardiff, CF10 3NQ and on the Welsh Government’s website at www.gov.wales.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 1972 c. 70. Section 89(6) was amended by paragraph 13 of Schedule 8 to the Representation of the People Act 1983 (c. 2) and paragraph 1(6) of Schedule 2 to the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021 (asc 1).

[^f00002]: 1983 c. 2. Section 36A was inserted by section 13(3) of the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021 (asc 1).

[^f00003]: 2021/1460 (W. 375), amended by S.I. 2022/263 (W. 79).

[^f00004]: 2021/1459 (W. 374), amended by S.I. 2022/263 (W. 79) and S.I. 2023/1064 (W. 180).

[^f00005]: 2000 c. 41. Section 28B was inserted by section 49(1) of the Electoral Administration Act 2006 (c. 22).

[^f00006]: Rule 22 was amended by rule 3(3) of S.I. 2023/1064 (W. 180).

[^f00007]: Rule 30 was amended by regulation 3(2) of S.I. 2022/263 (W. 79).

[^f00008]: Rule 32 was amended by rule 3(6) of S.I. 2023/1064 (W. 180).

[^f00009]: Rule 51 was amended by regulation 3(2)(b) of S.I. 2022/263 (W. 79).

[^f00010]: S.I. 2001/341. Regulation 79(4) was added by S.I. 2006/752 and subsequently amended by S.I. 2006/2910 and S.I. 2023/1225.

[^f00011]: Rule 60W was inserted by rule 4(2) of S.I. 2023/1064 (W. 180).

[^f00012]: Rule 62 was amended by rule 5 of S.I. 2023/1064 (W. 180).

[^f00013]: Appendix 2A was inserted by rule 6(2) of S.I. 2023/1064 (W. 180).

[^f00014]: Appendix 6A was inserted by rule 6(5) of S.I. 2023/1064 (W. 180).

[^f00015]: Rule 22 was amended by rule 7(3) of S.I. 2023/1064 (W. 180).

[^f00016]: Rule 30 was amended by regulation 3(3) of S.I. 2022/263 (W. 79).

[^f00017]: Rule 32 was amended by rule 7(6) of S.I. 2023/1064 (W. 180).

[^f00018]: Rule 51 was amended by regulation 3(3) of S.I. 2022/263 (W. 79).

[^f00019]: Rule 64Z1 was inserted by rule 8(2) of S.I. 2023/1064 (W. 180).

[^f00020]: Rule 66 was amended by rule 9 of S.I. 2023/1064 (W. 180).

[^f00021]: Appendix 2A was inserted by rule 10(2) of S.I. 2023/1064 (W. 180).

[^f00022]: Appendix 6A was inserted by rule 10(5) of S.I. 2023/1064 (W. 180).

[^f00023]: Rule 30 was amended by regulation 3(5) of S.I. 2022/263 (W. 79).

[^f00024]: Rule 51 was amended by regulation 3(5) of S.I. 2022/263 (W. 79).

[^f00025]: Rule 30 was amended by regulation 3(6) of S.I. 2022/263 (W. 79).

[^f00026]: Rule 51 was amended by regulation 3(6) of S.I. 2022/263 (W. 79).