Guidance for Candidates and Agents at Senedd elections

Returning Officers

At a Senedd election the Returning Officer (RO) is responsible for all aspects of the administration of the election, including the nomination of candidates for the election, conduct of the poll, the count and the declaration of result.  

The Returning Officer is the Returning Officer responsible for local government elections in that area, who is normally a senior officer of the local authority and independent of the authority in respect of their electoral functions.  

In the case of a constituency that includes more than one local authority, the RO will be designated by Welsh Ministers.1  

Contacting the Returning Officer

We have produced a list of the names and contact details of Returning Officers.

This document is not currently available as we are updating it. It will be made available as soon as possible.

Returning Officers will offer briefings ahead of the election and we strongly encourage you to attend, even if you have been an agent or stood for election before. 

The Electoral Registration Officer (ERO)

The ERO is responsible for maintaining the register of electors and absent voters’ lists for their local authority area. The ERO is normally a senior officer of the local authority and also the Returning Officer for local elections. You can find the contact details for your ERO on our website.

The Electoral Commission

We are an independent statutory body established in November 2000 by the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000. We are currently headed by ten Commissioners, including a Chair. We report directly to the UK Parliament through a committee chaired by the Speaker of the House of Commons.

We are responsible for registering political parties and non-party campaigners, the monitoring and publication of significant donations to registered political parties and the regulation of party and non-party campaigner spending at certain elections.  

We also have a role in promoting voter awareness. We are required to report on the administration of certain electoral events, to keep electoral matters under review and, if requested, must review and report on any electoral matter. We also accredit observers to be present at election proceedings.

We do not run elections but have responsibility for providing advice and assistance on electoral matters to all those involved in elections, including Returning Officers, Electoral Registration Officers, political parties and candidates.

Electoral Management Board for Wales

The Electoral Management Board for Wales (EMB) is responsible for the co-ordination of electoral administration for Senedd elections. The EMB is also responsible for hosting and operating the Welsh elections information platform to which election addresses can be submitted. For more information see the EMB website.