, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with Electoral administrators
Thank you.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with Electoral administrators
Yes, it's just on the review mechanism, and the Llywydd setting up a committee after the election to see what went well, what didn't go well. I'm just interested in the work that you'll be doing after the elections to prepare for that committee review and…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with Electoral administrators
Lovely. Thank you, Chair.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with Electoral administrators
Other than what the Chair said around the Government of Wales Act, what other things do you think we can do to mitigate that?
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with Electoral administrators
I wouldn't disagree. I was a councillor at the same time as we had a police and crime commissioner and something else and it was utter chaos, because people don't know what they're voting—. It sounds terrible, but you get three different ballot papers at one…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with Electoral administrators
I don't disagree with you. With the Fixed-term Parliaments Act, the UK Government could announce a general election any time they want, really, and that's—.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with Electoral administrators
As soon as one person moves, they all want to go.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with Electoral administrators
Well, they don't want it to move, do they?
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with Electoral administrators
Lovely. I just want to move on to the frequency of Senedd elections, and I know from evidence that it's probably not something you'd like to comment on—it's a matter for the Senedd here. But I'm just interested, you know, what impact it could have on…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with Electoral administrators
On the boundaries and changes to that and how it's all going to work.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with Electoral administrators
On this point—. On the wider point now about resourcing, there's obviously going to need a lot more resources and training given to local authority staff on what they're going to have to do. How much do you anticipate extra resources are going to need to be…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with Electoral administrators
You've given such comprehensive answers to some of the questions on the boundaries, I don't think I've got many more questions. But one I do want to ask is about the voter. We've talked a bit today about voter confusion and people getting a bit disillusioned…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with Electoral administrators
And then you don't want to be leaving things to the last minute—
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with Electoral administrators
It's important as well, not just for yourselves but for political parties as well, because they also need to get their ducks in a line with sorting out lists and—
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with Electoral administrators
You talked about the timescales there as well, and that is a big risk, the timescale, to give the public confidence that elections can be held safely and accurately as well, to make sure everything is done properly. What would you like to see as the…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with Electoral administrators
You don't sleep very well. [Laughter.]
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with Electoral administrators
Yes, diolch, Gadeirydd. I want to talk about the new Senedd constituencies and boundaries and the challenges that we're going to face as we have 16 super constituencies, as I'm going to call them when they're paired up. So, how do you think the new…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with Electoral administrators
Exactly.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with Electoral administrators
If I can push a little bit, do you think, from your view, from an electoral point of view, that there should be a bit of backstop in the Bill? I don't know how it works and what system it's done on, but do you think there should be?
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with Electoral administrators
And if you've got the numbers to pass this.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with Electoral administrators
If there were a backstop in the legislation put in.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with Electoral administrators
Yes, it's just on this point of vacancies. You wouldn't think there would ever be a point where we couldn't backfill a seat, but, with independents standing, there could be an opportunity. I know it's the Government's view that they'd rather the seat remain…
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with Electoral administrators
You could imagine, halfway through a Senedd term, someone could say, 'I'm going to go and move to somewhere in England', for example, 'But I'll register at my mother's or friend's address and I'll say that I'm actually staying there'.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with Electoral administrators
Yes, Colin, you can go first.
, Reform Bill Committee
Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: Evidence session with Electoral administrators
Yes, just really quickly. It's something I've raised in the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee, and it's the issue of second homes. Because somebody could have a second home in Wales, be very lucky to afford one, and put that down as the address…
