Public consultation event tomorrow on electoral reform – More AM’s & lower voting age?

Residents from across North East Wales will have the chance to have their say at a public event tomorrow on proposals to increase the number of Assembly Members and lowering the voting age in Wales.

The event, which will take place at the Ramada Plaza Hotel, is part of a series organised by the National Assembly for Wales in partnership with Wales Institute of Social & Economic Research, Data & Methods, Institute of Welsh Affairs, and the Morgan Academy.

As part of the Assembly Commission’s consultation on electoral reform a public consultation event will take place in Wrexham, tomorrow, on Friday 23 March at 6pm.

The event is part of a series organised by the National Assembly for Wales in partnership with Wales Institute of Social & Economic Research, Data & Methods, ‘Institute of Welsh Affairs’, and the Morgan Academy.

A panel presentation will be followed by a question and answer session, where people will have the opportunity to ask questions to the Llywydd, Elin Jones AM.

The electoral reform consultation has been drawn up in anticipation of new powers given to the Assembly in the Wales Act 2017. The Act gives the Assembly the power to make decisions in relation to the institution’s size and how Members are elected.

Earlier this month, the Assembly voted in favour of the Commission’s decision to consult on the recommendations of the Expert Panel’s report on Assembly Electoral Reform, “A Parliament that Works for Wales”.

The Panel recommended that the Assembly needs between 20 and 30 additional Members elected through a more proportional electoral system. It also recommended lowering the minimum voting age for National Assembly elections to include sixteen and seventeen year olds.

In addition to the recommendations made by the Expert Panel on Assembly Electoral Reform the consultation also includes other potential changes to who can vote in Assembly elections and who can be an Assembly Member, as well as changes to the law relating to electoral administration and the Assembly’s internal arrangements.

The Commission has already consulted on changing the Assembly’s name, and as a result of that consultation the name will be changed to Welsh Parliament.

The Llywydd, Elin Jones AM said: “The Wales Act 2017 marks the start of a new phase of devolution in Wales, giving us the opportunity to make profound changes to our legislature.

“We now have the opportunity to forge the national parliament that the people of Wales deserve to champion their interests.

This consultation is the beginning of a conversation with the people and communities of Wales about the institution that they want their Welsh Parliament to be. I look forward to hearing their views.”

Details on how to attend can be found on the electoral reform website www.futuresenedd.wales, or by contacting the National Assembly information line on 0300 200 6565.

The consultation on the recommendations will be open until 6 April.

There are a number of ways that people can let the Assembly Commission know what they think about the potential reforms:

– Visit the consultation website at www.assembly.wales/futuresenedd, where you will find the full consultation document and an easy read version of the consultation document. You can either email your completed consultation form to AssemblyCommission.Consultations@assembly.wales, or post it to Freepost, National Assembly for Wales.

– Visit the consultation microsite at www.futuresenedd.wales, and fill in an online survey. You can choose whether to answer questions on all of the proposals, or just the ones which interest you most.