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How to use this guidance

Our guidance is separated out into sections, each of which deals with a different part of the process you will be involved with as Nominating Officer, a political party, party list candidate, individual candidate, or agent for the Senedd elections.

To help you navigate this guidance we have produced a Q & A document:

Our guidance sets out the stages that political parties, candidates and their agents need to go through when standing at the Senedd elections. The areas covered are: 

SectionWhat it covers
What you need to know before standing as a candidate
  • qualifications and disqualifications to stand as a candidate
  • when you officially become a candidate 
Spending for individual candidates
  • how much individual candidates can spend on their campaigns
  • reporting campaign spending after the election
Donations for individual candidates
  • donations that individual candidates can accept
  • reporting donations after the election 
Spending and donations for party list candidates
  • freepost for the election address
  • rules around personal expenses  
  • donations as a party member or a holder of elective office (regulated donees)
Campaigning
  • the rules on publication and display of campaign literature
  • the rules about campaigning
  • general principles for campaigning 
Nominations for party list candidates
  • the nomination process and what forms need to be completed
  • submission of nomination papers
  • what happens after nomination papers have been submitted 
Nominations for individual candidates
  • the nomination process and what forms you will need to complete
  • submission of nomination papers
  • what happens after you have submitted your nomination papers 
Postal votes
  • the process for issuing and opening postal votes
  • attending postal vote opening sessions 
Polling day
  • polling day processes
  • attending polling stations
  • polling day dos and don'ts 
Verification and count
  • what happens at the verification and count
  • attending the verification and count
  • collation and declaration of election results
After the election
  • submitting spending returns and declarations
  • access to election documentation, including marked registers
  • other post poll activities 

 

Last updated: 19 September 2025