A Welsh Government pilot to try and increase flexibility for voters in elections have found there was no increase in turnout.
The pilots aimed to test measures to make elections in Wales are as accessible as possible and ensure "that everyone who wants to vote can vote." The pilots were carried out during this years local elections.
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Four of them took place:
Blaenau Gwent – Ebbw Vale Learning Zone was used as an advance polling station for all residents of the county, including students of the college who were eligible to vote at the elections. This meant the could vote on Tuesday and Wednesday (before the election day on Thursday).
Bridgend - Polling stations in certain low turnout wards were open for advance voting on the Tuesday and Wednesday before election day. A new advance polling station was also created in a school on the Tuesday before election day for use by students registered at that school who were eligible to vote in those wards.
Caerphilly – The council’s headquarters at Ystrad Mynach was used as an advance polling station for all residents of the county on the weekend before election day.
Torfaen – The council offices at Pontypool was used as an advance polling station for all residents of the county on the weekend before election day.
The pilots were assessed by the Electoral Commission who concluded: "A small number of voters chose to cast their vote at the advance voting polling stations. The three pilots with a single advance centre had similar results, with 0.2 – 0.3% of registered polling station voters casting a vote on the advance days. In Bridgend, where a number of usual polling stations were open, the proportion was slightly higher at 1.5%."
According to the Commission the level of turnout is broadly in line with the previous tests of advance voting carried out in the early 2000s. In the final set of pilots in 2007, the proportions ranged from 0.5 – 7.0%. These earlier results are not directly comparable as the specific approaches being piloted varied. For example, of the five pilots in 2007 only one had two days of advance voting; the other four had between four and nine days. Most also had more than one voting centre and several were not piloting advance voting for the first time.
It is difficult to draw conclusions from the small number of pilots in May 2022. The data could suggest that a larger number of polling stations are more likely to attract voters than single, central venues. However, other factors could be driving the difference, including the local elections themselves and how competitive voters perceived them to be.
In a statement Mick Antoniw MS, counsel general and minister for the constitution said: "As expected, the pilots did not increase turnout dramatically but demonstrated that flexible and more convenient ways of voting can be provided securely and with voters’ confidence.
"The Electoral Commission’s evaluation reflects that the pilots were well run and that no issue arose because of undertaking these innovative pilots. The electronic registers that were trialled worked well and enabled administrators to deliver multiple venue polling stations simultaneously.
"The learning from the pilots and the evaluation will be used to inform longer term improvements to the way people vote and to help reduce the democratic deficit. I look forward to consulting on our proposals in the coming months."
Rhydian Thomas, head of the Electoral Commission Wales said: “The successful delivery of these pilots is a testament to the dedication and hard work of Returning Officers and electoral administrators across the pilot authorities.
“The experience of the pilots provides some useful information on how advance voting could work in future, and an opportunity to explore areas of reform and ways to modernise elections. However, due to the small number of pilots we cannot determine what impact advance voting, if introduced, would have on turnout over time.
“Any future changes need to deliver a likely benefit to voters, maintain the security and integrity of the system and be realistically deliverable by electoral administrators. The Commission stands ready to support the Welsh Government as they consider the reforms that are needed to modernise elections in Wales.”
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