Make Your Vote Heard: The 2026 Senedd Election is Taking Place in May

The Senedd election is set for the 7^th of May 2026. NYAS Cymru looks forward to working with the next Welsh Government to make sure children and young people are placed at the centre of its decisions. Our blog post tells you all you need to know about the elections, how to vote and what NYAS Cymru wants to see from the next Welsh Government!

What does a Senedd election mean?

A Senedd (Welsh Parliament) election gives the people of Wales an opportunity to have their voices heard and to help shape the future leadership of the Welsh Government. The last day of Senedd business concluded on the 27^th of March in the run-up to the election, with the dissolution of the Senedd, which took place on the 8^th of April. This means that the current Senedd has come to an end, and members of the Senedd (MSs) have concluded sitting in their current roles. This means election season officially starts!

Political parties across Wales have already begun publishing their manifestos ahead of the election, which outline their visions for Wales if they were to be elected to form the next Welsh government. These documents provide eligible voters with the political understanding they need to make an informed choice about who they want to lead Wales and what changes each party intends to provide.

What does NYAS Cymru want to see?

NYAS Cymru is committed to platforming the voices of children and young people, therefore we urge the next Welsh Government to also empower children and young people, listen to their voices and put them at the heart of decision making.  This would help to make sure every child and young person is given an equal opportunity to flourish and have a happy childhood.

NYAS Cymru released the ‘Taking Care of our Future: A Manifesto By Young People For Young People’ ahead of the 2026 Senedd Elections. In our manifesto, we made calls of what we want to see from the next Welsh Government. NYAS Cymru has outlined a series of calls to the new Welsh Government which aim to put children and young people at the heart of decision-making in Wales. These calls focus on child and young person-centred policy making, advocacy, rights, equality and empowerment.

This includes embedding the perspectives of children and young people across all government departments and ministries, a direct incorporation of the UNCRC (United Nations Conventions on the Rights of the Child) into Welsh domestic law and producing targeted policies to reduce inequality or disadvantages some young people face.

NYAS Cymru also wants to see more support and rights for care-experienced children and young people. We urge the new Welsh Government to create more changes directed at these young people. We want to see more work opportunities, improved access to advocacy, creating stronger housing and financial protections, and ensuring there is a reliable support system for care leavers as they transition out of care.

How to Vote?

After the formal election period began on the 8^th of April, people living in Wales have until the 20^th of April to register to vote in the upcoming elections. This will be the second Senedd election where the minimum voting age is 16, which was introduced in 2020 to encourage young people to engage with Welsh politics and to ensure their voices are heard in decisions that affect their futures.

After you have registered to vote, you can either cast your vote by post ahead of the election by 5pm on the 21^st of April, have someone else vote for you or go to a polling station between 7am and 10pm on the 7^th of May. Unlike other elections in Wales, voters, in this case, are not required to bring a form of ID, so you only need to be registered and at the correct polling station to make sure your vote counts. You can find out about registering and voting here!

Written by Megan Sumner, NYAS Research and Policy Student Intern