Closed-list proportional representation

Closed-list proportional representation is the electoral system introduced for Welsh Senedd elections from 2026, replacing the mixed-member proportional system used since devolution began in 1999. Under the new system, voters cast a single ballot for a party rather than for an individual candidate. Seats are allocated to parties in proportion to the votes they receive, and the order in which candidates take those seats is determined entirely by each party internal ranked list -- voters have no influence over which individuals within a party are elected. The 7 May 2026 Senedd election is the first ever conducted under this system.

The switch was legislated by the Senedd Reform (Wales) Act 2024 (Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Act 2024). The reform also increased the number of Senedd members from 60 to 96 and changed constituency boundaries. Proponents argued the old mixed-member system was confusing for voters and that the new system would deliver more proportional outcomes and greater party diversity. Critics -- primarily within Labour and the Conservative parties -- argued the closed-list mechanism removes voter influence over individual candidates and entrenches party machine power over selection.

The distinction between closed and open list PR matters politically. In an open-list system, voters can express a preference between candidates from the same party, altering the internal order. In closed-list, the party ranks its candidates before the election and voters cannot reorder them. This gives party leadership significant control over who enters the Senedd: high list placements are effectively SAFE seats, low placements are paper candidacies. The 2026 Welsh Senedd election is being watched as the United Kingdom first large-scale test of closed-list PR at a legislative level.