The Welsh Government has launched a consultation on changes to local elections rules that include making them fully bilingual and allowing candidates in local government elections to incur reasonable expenses for personal security and property protection without these costs counting towards their campaign expenditure limits.
The consultation seeks views on the draft Local Elections (Wales) (Amendment) Rules 2026 and the draft Representation of the People Act 1983 (Security Expenses Exclusion) (Amendment) (Wales) Order 2026.
The proposed changes would come into effect for the local elections in 2027.
The Welsh Government said the focus was on ensuring that local government elections in Wales “remain current and consistent with recent updates to Senedd election procedures”.
It is proposed that the amendments would align the rules with changes made to the Senedd Cymru (Representation of the People) Order 2025.
They also address candidate security arrangements “and recognise the importance of ensuring candidates can take appropriate security measures whilst maintaining fair and transparent campaign spending rules.
“This means that candidates in local government elections would be able to incur reasonable expenses for personal security and property protection without these costs counting towards their campaign expenditure limits, bringing local elections in line with recent amendments made for Senedd elections.”
The Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government, Jayne Bryant, said: “These proposed changes will modernise our local election rules and ensure consistency across all Welsh elections.
“Crucially, they recognise that no candidate should have to choose between their safety and their ability to campaign. Protecting themselves and their property should never come at the cost of reaching voters. This meets a key recommendation from the Jo Cox Foundation’s excellent report on tackling abuse and intimidation, something I’ve been working closely with them to address.”
Cllr Lis Burnett, WLGA Llywydd said: “Standing for election takes courage, commitment and a genuine desire to make a difference. Nobody should feel at risk by deciding to serve their community.
“These proposed changes recognise that reality and will help make local democracy safer and more accessible for everyone. They also modernise our election rules to reflect the values of fairness and bilingualism that are at the heart of democracy in Wales.”
The consultation is open until 12 January 2026.
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Another election year and RCT Council only increasing Council Tax by1% Why dont they have an election every year?