Guidance for Returning Officers administering a Senedd election

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Provisional results and recounts

You should be satisfied that the number of votes for each political party and individual candidate is accurate before proceeding to a provisional result.

All processes should be undertaken within the framework of maximum openness and transparency implemented throughout the various stages of the count so that all candidates and agents can have confidence in the processes and the provisional result you provide.

Once you are satisfied, you must advise party list candidates, individual candidates, their counting agents and election agents of the provisional result. You should make it clear that the candidates, election agents or, in their absence, any authorised counting agent are entitled to request a recount.1  

You must give the candidates and agents sufficient time to digest the provisional result before proceeding. It is at this point that any candidate or election agent may request to have the votes recounted or, following a recount, recounted again.2

You must consider any recount request but by law may refuse if, in your opinion, the request is unreasonable.3 You may, however, consider offering the candidates and agents the opportunity to inspect the bundles of ballot papers as a means of reassuring them that the result if accurate.

Where individual local counts are held, at the conclusion of the count (including any re-count), any appointed deputies should as soon as practicable draw up a provisional statement(s) and share it with you to seek agreement before sharing with any candidates and agents.

You should advise any appointed deputies of the processes that are in place for considering the statement and dealing with requests for recounts. 

You may request a recount of the votes after being informed of the provisional local total if you have reason to doubt the accuracy of the counting of votes in that area. If a recount has been directed, once that recount is complete, the provisional local total process should begin again.

Recount process

If you agree to recount the votes, you should inform the candidates and agents present at the count before the recount commences and brief them on the processes you are going to follow. As with the original count, you should carry out any recount in full view of those present. You are entitled to reconsider which ballot papers should be rejected during the recount (or any further recount).

You must consult candidates and agents on the revised provisional result in the same way as they were consulted on the provisional result at the conclusion of the first count.4

It is possible to have more than one recount. Again, it is for you to consider any request, and you may refuse if in your opinion the request is unreasonable.5

Last updated: 18 November 2025