Guidance for Returning Officers administering a Senedd election

Good communication at candidate and agent and media briefings in advance of the result collation and at the event itself, will allow those present to properly scrutinise the proceedings and will help to build confidence that the result is accurate. Providing information on the processes to be followed can also help to lower the number of queries raised by candidates and agents, the media and other attendees.

You should ensure that you have prepared appropriate information to explain the processes you are going to follow during the result collation to any candidates, agents, observers and media who are present. As a minimum you should explain your role and identify, where appropriate, your deputies and key result collation staff and explain their roles. You should also explain how the result collation and allocation of the seats process will work, including how this relates to the verification and counting of votes across the constituency and set out the key stages in the process.

You should make announcements at the start of the event and regularly during proceedings to keep attendees informed about what is happening where and when. You should also announce at the start the expected time for the declaration of result. Attendees at the result collation should be kept informed throughout the process. 

If agents or observers are dissatisfied in any way with the manner in which the proceedings are being carried out, the opportunity should always be available for them to make direct representations to you, at the earliest opportunity, so that any concerns may be considered, explanations and reassurances given, and corrective action taken if necessary.

You should have a media plan in place, to ensure that your messages and approach to communication with the media at the verification, count and result collation are consistent. 

At the venue where the result will be calculated and declared, you should include space and opportunity for the media to report on the result. You have discretion to decide which representatives of the media you allow to attend. As with all attendees, you must ensure that media representatives do not interfere with the process or compromise the secrecy of the vote.

These should include ensuring that the venue has suitable space and equipment, that there are clear processes and resources in place for providing information to, and dealing with enquiries from, the media at the result collation. To assist you and your public relations team we have produced, jointly with the national TV news broadcasters, some ‘tips for managing the media at the count’.

You can find the tips on managing the media at the count document in the verification and count section of our resource page.

You should also make clear any policies you have for conduct during the verification and count at the venue, such as use of mobile phones, and taking photographs, and whether there are any items you have decided to prohibit from the venue as a result of your risk assessment and the expected behaviour of attendees during the delivery of verbal announcements.