Guidance for Returning Officers administering a Senedd election

The following people are entitled by law to attend the verification and count:1

• you and your staff
• each party list and individual candidate
• one guest per party list candidate and one guest per individual candidate
• election agents
• counting agents
• Commission representatives
• accredited observers
• constables and PCSOs on duty
• any other person permitted by you to attend
  • you need to be satisfied that any person permitted by you to attend will not impede the verification or efficient counting of votes and that you have either consulted the election agents or decided it impracticable to do so.2

You should take all necessary steps to ensure that anyone attending does not interfere with or compromise the secrecy of the vote. You are legally required to make arrangements to ensure that all attendees (other than constables on duty) are provided with a copy of the relevant secrecy requirements.3

You have a legal duty to give counting agents reasonable facilities for overseeing the verification and counting of the votes. You should ensure that anyone who is entitled to attend has an unrestricted view of the proceedings, without being able to interfere with the work of your staff.4

There is no requirement for those attending to arrive by a certain time. You should have a process in place to ensure that those entitled to attend can be admitted whenever they arrive. This process should also allow any attendee who wishes to leave and return later to do so.