19 November 2020
The Green Party has welcomed the Senedd’s decision to allow councils in Wales to adopt a fairer voting system for next year’s local elections.
The Local Government and Elections (Wales) Bill [1] gives councils the option to drop the First Past the Post system in favour of the Single Transferable Vote.
Wales Green Party leader Anthony Slaughter said:
“It is great to see Wales finally starting to adopt a fairer voting system. Councils have an enormous impact on the lives of us all and so it is only right that people’s votes actually count.
“As in England, there is usually a very low turnout in local elections and a real lack of diversity in the outcome. The changes in this Bill, including votes at 16 and automatic voter registration, could not only increase participation but also provide a much fairer and representative result.
“We would now urge all councils across Wales to take up this option and drop the archaic First Past the Post system, or else risk ending up with a situation where some people have a fair vote and others do not.”
Notes
1
https://business.senedd.wales/mgIssueHistoryHome.aspx?IId=26688
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