How to vote in the local council elections across Wales

If you have not yet registered for a vote in next month’s local elections you have until just before midnight on Thursday (April 14) to make sure your name is on the electoral register. 

Do not forget that this time round if you are 16 or 17 years old you are also able to have your say in deciding who runs our councils for the next five years. 

Also if you are an overseas citizen but you live here in Wales you are also eligible. 

You can register online by clicking here before 11.59pm on Thursday 14 April and following the instructions.

The elections will be held on Thursday 5 May when council seats in all 22 local authorities will be up for grabs for the first time since 2017.

Local authorities are responsible for delivering important services that we all rely on every day such as education, housing, social services, waste management, leisure services, planning and environmental health.

During the pandemic, councils have been at the heart of emergency measures including running track and trace programmes and testing. 

As well as registering to vote, there are some other important dates coming up.

If you think you might not be able to cast your votes in person, the deadline for applying for a postal vote is 5pm on Tuesday 19 April. You must already be on the electoral register. 

If you have applied for a postal vote but left it too late to post your ballot paper you can take it to your polling station by 10pm on election day. 

You can also ask for someone else to vote on your behalf with what is known as a proxy vote. The deadline for applying for a proxy vote is 5pm on 26th April.