Consultation on the draft Senedd Cymru (Representation of the People) Order
Q1. Do the procedures outlined in the draft Order accurately represent the requirements for conducting a successful election under the Senedd’s new electoral system?
Q2(a). Do you agree with the approach that the timeframe for which individual candidates should account for their election spending should be aligned with the timeframe for which parties account for their spending?
Q2(b). Do you agree with the principal of aligning the election expenses limit of individual candidates with the limits for party expenses?
How this link will be made will depend in part on the final approach taken for party limits , but the proposal is to set the limit for an individual candidate at the same level as the limit that would apply when a registered political party stands a single candidate in a constituency or the limit that would apply when a registered political party stands in a single constituency.
Q3. Do you foresee any unintended consequences arising from the revised provisions in article 67 of the draft Order concerning the right to send free election mail, which are considered to be overall comparable to those in the 2007 Order?
Q4. Are there any technical changes you can recommend which would allow the postal voting statement correction procedure to be more effective?
Q5. Are the provisions relating to the new requirements of a statement of party membership clear with regards to what is required from candidates?
Q6. Do you agree with the new provisions in Rule 37 of Schedule 5 regarding the equipment provided at polling stations to assist disabled voters, which is in line with the approach adopted following amendments made by the Elections Act 2022?
Q7. Do you consider that the content and format of the forms, as well as the new numbering system, satisfies users' needs?
Q8. Do you anticipate that the forms will be used as they are presented in the final Order, or will new templates be created?
Q9. In your opinion, could the draft Order be formulated or changed so as to:
- have positive effects or more positive effects on using the Welsh language and on not treating the Welsh language less favourably than English; or
- mitigate any negative effects on using the Welsh language and on not treating the Welsh language less favourably than English?
Q10. We have asked a number of specific questions. If you have any related issues which we have not specifically addressed, please use this space to report them: