The ballot box is sealed to prevent any tampering and either on the same night, the next morning, or during the following week, is taken from the polling station to the venue where they will be counted (e.g. Wrexham University Sports Hall).

First, a verification count takes place to ensure accuracy. The number of ballot papers in the ballot box are counted to make sure there are the same number of ballots in the box as was stated on the paperwork that came from the polling station.

After this, the counting of votes for candidates begins. How the votes are counted will depend on the voting system used for the election. In Wales, we use the Additional Member System to elect Members of the Senedd (MSs), the First Past the Post to elect Members of Parliament (MPs) and Local Councillors, and the Supplementary Vote to elect Police and Crime Commissioners. While Wrexham uses First Past the Post, some other areas of Wales also use the Single Transferable Vote to vote for Local Councillors. Watch the video to learn more about each Voting System.

Once the votes are in, the winning candidates will be announced.

In Wrexham’s County Council Election (Local Election), 56 councillors are elected to represent the 49 electoral divisions (areas in Wrexham). They make up the Full Council and represent several political groups.

In a Senedd Election, the candidate with the most votes in your constituency will win the seat (becoming your Constituency MS), the four candidates with the most votes in North Wales become your Regional MSs, and the leader of the political party that wins the majority of MSs becomes First Minister, forms a government and chooses the cabinet.

In a General Election, the candidate with the most votes in your constituency will win the seat (becoming your MP), and the leader of the political party with the majority of MPs becomes Prime Minister, forms a government and chooses the cabinet. Whichever party (or parties) come second become the opposition, but if there is no clear winner there may be a Coalition Government.

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Next: ‘More Information and Key Terms’

KEY TERMS

• Polling Station: a location where you can go to place your vote. It’s usually a school or village hall.
• A Ballot Box: is where you put your folded ballot paper once you have made your vote.
• Candidates: a candidate is a person who you can vote for in an election.
• Election: an election is when a vote is held and the public can vote for candidates.
• Members of the Senedd (MS): A Member of the Senedd is a person who has been elected to the Welsh Parliament (Senedd).
• Member of Parliament (MP): A Member of Parliament is a person who has been elected to the UK Parliament.
• Councillor: Local Councillors are elected by the community to decide how the council should carry out its various activities.
• Local Election: An election that takes place in your local area to vote for councillors.
• Senedd Election: A Welsh Election for Members of the Senedd.
• A Constituency: is a location that an MP or MS is responsible for representing. Wales has 32 constituencies.
• Seats: if a candidate wins the most votes in a constituency, then they win that ‘seat’. The party with the most ‘seats’ wins the election and forms the government.
• First Minister: The First Minister of Wales is the leader of the party who won the most seats in a Senedd Election.
• Government: The Government decides how things are run and manage the day to day. They use the money they get from taxes to pay for and make decisions on things such as schools, hospitals, emergency services, armed forces, and the legal system. Government is scrutinised by Parliament.
• General Election: A UK Election for Members of Parliament.
• Prime Minister: The Prime Minister of the UK is the leader of the party who won the most seats in a General UK Election.
• A Coalition Government: can occur when no party wins an absolute majority of the votes in an election. More than one political party form a power-sharing agreement to run the country together.