Guidance for Candidates and Agents at Senedd elections

Who can attend the opening of postal votes?

The following people are entitled to attend the opening of returned postal votes:1

• Party list candidates and Individual candidates
• An individual candidate’s election agent or a person appointed by the individual candidate to attend in the election agents place
• A party list election agent or a person appointed by the Nominating Officer to attend in the election agent’s place
• Postal voting agents you have appointed to attend openings

For details on how to appoint these agents see our guidance on appointing postal voting agents.

Duty to maintain secrecy during postal vote opening sessions

Ballot papers will be kept face down throughout a postal vote opening session.2 Anyone attending an opening session must not:3

• obtain
• attempt to obtain
• communicate at any time to another person:
  • any information relating to the number or other unique identifying mark on the ballot paper
  • any information as to the official mark on a postal ballot paper before the close of poll
• disclose how any particular ballot paper has been marked or pass on any such information gained from the session.

It follows therefore that keeping a tally of how ballot papers have been marked is not allowed.

Anyone found guilty of breaching these requirements can face an unlimited fine or may be imprisoned for up to six months.4