Last week, the Welsh Government laid new regulations to introduce Automatic Voter Registration (AVR) across all 22 Welsh local authorities ahead of the 2027 local elections. This marks a significant moment for Welsh democracy, making Wales the first part of the UK to formally introduce AVR.
The move follows successful pilots in four local authority areas during 2025, which saw thousands of eligible voters added to the electoral register. The pilots, held in Gwynedd, Newport and Powys, alongside a desk-based exercise in Carmarthenshire, allowed local authorities to use existing public data, including council tax and education records, to identify and register eligible voters without requiring individual applications. This resulted in over 14,500 eligible voters added to the register.
With these pilots widely deemed a success following an evaluation by the Electoral Commission, new regulations have been laid ensuring that AVR will be in place in all Welsh local authorities ahead of next May’s elections.
Automatic Voter Registration makes voting simpler and fairer
ERS Cymru has long argued that AVR is necessary. It makes registering to vote simpler and could help remove barriers that prevent thousands of people from taking part in our democracy.
We know there are significant inequalities in electoral registration, with some groups far less likely to be registered than others. According to the Electoral Commission 400,000 people in Wales are either incorrectly registered or missing entirely from the register, with only 43% of 16–17-year-olds registered, compared to 95% of those over 65.
Introducing AVR will create a level playing field, ensuring that this inconsistency in terms of who is, and who isn’t, on the register ends.
Every election there is a huge emphasis on registration, especially in the lead up to the deadline, which often leads to significant logistical challenges for electoral services teams. AVR should reduce those pressures and allow for a greater focus on the more important challenge – encouraging people to participate and cast their vote.
Rolling out Automatic Voter Registration to the whole UK
With this change Wales is setting out its stall for being ahead of the curve when it comes to UK democracy. The hope is that other UK nations will follow. The Representation of the People Bill, currently progressing through the UK Parliament, includes provisions to automate registration. Having this place at a UK level could ensure that between 7 and 8 million people are added to the register.
Ultimately, everyone should have an equal opportunity to have their voice heard on the decisions that affect their lives. For too many people, the current registration system has acted as a barrier to participation, with those barriers falling disproportionately on certain groups. The introduction of Automatic Voter Registration is an important step towards a more inclusive democracy and a fairer electoral system for Wales.
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