Voters in Wales will have the opportunity to go to the polls today, Thursday 6 May to vote in the Senedd and Police and Crime Commissioner elections.
For those who have chosen to vote in person at a Covid-secure polling station, their experience of voting will be different to previous elections.
The Electoral Commission is encouraging voters to make sure they’re ready to vote on 6 May. Voters should remember to:
- Take a face covering and a pen or pencil with them when they vote. If people forget these, there will be spares available for them to use at the polling station
- Clean their hands when entering and leaving the polling station
- Maintain a safe distance for other voters and polling station staff
While voting should only take a few minutes, there will be arrangements in place to maintain social distancing at the polling station and staff will be managing the number of people allowed inside at any one time. This means that voters may be asked to queue to enter their polling station. Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm. Anyone in the queue at 10pm will be able to vote.
As there are Senedd and Police and Crime Commissioner elections happening today voters may have up to three different ballot papers. There will be instructions on the ballot papers and on posters inside the polling station showing how to complete them, and voters should read these carefully before casting their vote.
If someone becomes unwell or is self-isolating as a result of Covid-19 shortly before polling day, or on the day itself, they don’t need to miss out on their vote. Voters will be able to apply for an emergency proxy up until 5pm on polling day, so someone they trust can vote on their behalf. They can find out how to do this by speaking to their local council.
Further information for voters is available on www.electoralcommission.org.
