Senedd Election 2021: Latest

With the polling stations for the 2021 Senedd Election closed last night, today will see a flurry of activity across Wales as the counting process gets underway

While elections are usually all night affairs with the winners often known long before the crack of dawn, the verification and counting of votes have been delayed until this morning due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Its likely to be early evening – or possibly even tomorrow – until the full makeup of the sixth Senedd session is known.

Historic election

Its been a historic election - the first time we voted for Members of the "Senedd"and the first time our 16 and 17 year-olds could vote.

Laura McAllister is Professor of Policy and the Governance of Wales at Cardiff University - and part of the team that recommended extending votes for the under 18s. She said the low turn out in the Under 18s was disappointing but not unexpected:

"When we made the recommendation for votes at 16 through my expert panel, we talked about aligning that decision with a programme of effective political education and citizenship education which would give young people the confidence to feel they were able to assess parties and manifestos in a stronger way. But of course Covid has put paid to all of those hopes."

Long queues

Long queues were reported across Welsh polling stations as social distancing took its toll on the polls.

Kat Keighley, a Trainee Journalist from Swansea was one of those who waited patiently to cast her vote:

"Like many people yesterday, I queued for forty minutes outside my local polling station. The delays were likely because of the Covid one in one out system, and because people had to make more voting decisions than they usually would.

"The polls closed at ten pm last night. But the counting has been delayed due to the virus, with results not due in until this afternoon."

The constituency counts

Local authorities are responsible for organising their own counts, usually led by the council’s Chief Executive doubling up as the county’s Acting Returning Officer.

As is the case for a Westminster General Election, 40 members of the Senedd will be elected in a first past the post method to represent each of these individual constituencies.

How long this takes can depend on how close the result is and the size of the electorate, as well as the number of candidates standing, but results should start to trickle in by mid afternoon.

The ‘top up’ seats

The remaining 20 members are elected on a proportional representation across five separate electoral regions roughly split on population, namely: North Wales, Mid and West Wales, South Wales West, South Wales Central and South Wales East.

These Members of the Senedd can only be elected once all of the constituency seats have been officially decided and declared.

That is due to the calculation that allocates seats to the individual parties being reliant on how many seats every party has already won in each area.

As a result its likely that these candidates will face a relatively long wait with results not expected until Friday evening.

Results for Constituencies:

Aberavon: HOLD - David Rees

Lab 10,505 / Plaid 4,760 / Con 2,947 / Ind 1,357 / Lib Dem 953 / Abolish 646 / UKIP 407 /Gwlad 386 / REF 208

Aberconwy: Conservative - Hold - Janet Finch-Saunders

Con 9,815 / Lab 5,971 / Plaid 6,479 / Lib Dem 735 / Ref 320 / No More Lockdowns 223

Alyn & Deeside: Labour - HOLD - Jack Sargeant

Lab 12,622 / Con 8,244 / Plaid 1,886 / Lib Dem 1,584 / UKIP 898 / Reform 401 / Freedom 208

Arfon: Plaid Cymru - HOLD - Sian Gwenllian

Plaid 13,760 / Lab 5,108 / Con 1,806 / Lib Dems 642 / Ref 350 / Ind 82

Blaenau Gwent: HOLD - Alun Davies

Lab 10,226 / Plaid 3,588 / CON 2,611 / IND 2,376 / ABOLISH 1,364 / LIB DEM 333 / REFORM 319

Brecon & Radnorshire: Conservative - GAIN - James Evans

Con 12,741 / Lib Dem 8,921 / Lab 4,980 / Plaid 2,075 / Green 1,556 / Abolish 1,209 / Ind 345 / Reform 213 / Gwlad 75

Bridgend: Labour Hold - Sarah Murphy

Labour 12,388 / Con 8324 / Plaid Cymru 3091 / Ind 1064 / Lib Dem 782

Caerphilly: Labour - HOLD - Hefin David

Lab 13,289 / Plaid 8,211 / Con 5,013 / Abolish 1,119 / Lib Dem 787 / Reform 495

Cardiff Central: Labour - HOLD - Jenny Rathbone

Lab 13,100 / Lib Dem 5,460 / Con 3,788 / Plaid 3,470 / Green 1,552 / Abolish 440 / Propel 268 / Freedom 156 / Reform 151 / Socialist 82 / Gwlad 65

Cardiff North: Labour - HOLD - Julie Morgan

LAB 19,348 / CON 12,755 / PLAID 3,278 / GREEN 1,957 / LIB DEM 1,641 / ABOLISH 919 / PROPEL 336 / REFORM 200 / FREEDOM 150

Cardiff South & Penarth: Labour - HOLD - Vaughan Gething

LAB 18,153 / CON 7,547 / PLAID 4,957 / LIB DEM 1,402 / GREEN 1,643 / ABOLISH 732 / UKIP 576 / PROPEL 552 / REFORM 295 / FREEDOM 273 / IND 135 / GWLAD 121

Cardiff West: Labour - HOLD - Mark Drakeford

LAB 17,665 / CON 6,454 / PLAID 5,897 / PROPEL 3,473 / GREEN 1,287 / LIB DEM 803 / ABOLISH 682 / REFORM 175

Carmarthen East & Dinefwr: Conservatives - HOLD - Samuel Kurtz

CON 11,240 / LABOUR 10,304 / PLAID 6,615 / LIB DEM 1,224 / UKIP 982 / IND 866 / REF 424

Carmarthen West & Pembrokeshire South: Conservatives - HOLD - Samuel Kurtz

Con 11240 / Labour 10304/ Plaid Cymru 6615 / Lib Dem 1224 / UKIP 982 / Ind 866/ REF 424

Ceredigion: Plaid Cymru - Hold - Elin Jones

PLAID 16,946 / CON 4,801 / LABOUR 3,345 / LIB DEM 3,227 / GREEN 1,356 / REF 775 / FREEDOM 305

Clwyd South: Labour hold - Ken Skates

Lab 10448 / Con 7535 / Lib Dems 730 / Plaid 4094/ Abolish 599/ Reform 277 / UKIP 522

Clwyd West: Conservatives hold - Darren Millar

Con 11,839/ Labour 8,154 votes/ Plaid 5,609 / Lib Dems 1,158 / Abolish 502 / UKIP 520 / Reform 304 / Welsh Ind 277

Cynon Valley: Labour - HOLD - Vikki Howells

LAB 11,427 / PLAID 3,959 / CON 2,795 / PROPEL 713 / ABOLISH 648 / REFORM 356 / LIB DEM 335 / IND 278

Delyn: Labour hold - Hannah Blythyn

Lab 12,846 / Con 9,135 / Lib Dem 1,094 / Plaid 2,097 / UKIP 862 / Reform UK 297 / Gwlad 112

Dwyfor Meirionnydd: Plaid Cymru gain Mabon ap Gwynfor

Plaid 11,490 / Con 4,394 / Lab 3,702 / Propel 1,314 / Llais Gwynedd 1,136 / Lib Dem 916 / Ref 710 / FA 152

Gower: Labour hold - Rebecca Evans

Lab 15631 / Con 10836 / Lib Dem 869 / Plaid 3946 / Reform 547 / Green 1088 / Gwlad 247

Islwyn: Labour - HOLD - Rhianon Passmore

Lab 9,962 / Ind 4,723 / Plaid 3,930 / Con 3,894 / Abolish 568 / UKIP 507 / Lib Dem 476 / Reform 421

Llanelli: Labour - HOLD - Lee Waters

LAB 13,930 / PLAID 8,255 / CON 4,947 / UKIP 722 / REFORM 672 / LIB DEM 606 / GWLAD 544 / IND 542

Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney: Labour hold - Dawn Bowden

Lab 13,009 / Plaid 3,698 / Con 2,665 / Abolish 656 / Lib Dem 420 / UKIP 382 / Reform 324

Monmouth: Conservatives hold - Peter Fox

Con 15332 / Lab 11487 / Lib Dem 1892 / Plaid 2085 / Green 2000 / Reform 349 / Abolish 1174 / FA 181 / Gwlad 90 / Ind 1293

Montgomeryshire: Conservatives hold - Russell George

Con 12,013 / Plaid 4,485 / Lib Dem 4,307 / Lab 3,576 / Reform UK 549 / Gwlad 157

Neath: Labour hold - Jeremy Miles

Lab 11,666 / Plaid Cymru 6,445 / Con 4,107 / Green 1,038 / Ind 2,418 / Abolish 751 / Propel 443 / Lib Dem 395 / Reform 315

Newport East: Labour hold : John Griffiths

Lab 10,899 / Con 7,315 / Plaid 1,844 / Lib Dem 1,574 / UKIP 368 / Reform 328 / Abolish 660 / FA 161

Newport West: Labour - HOLD - Jane Bryant

LAB 14,259 / CONS 10,353 / PLAID 2,076 / GREENS 1,314 / LIB DEM 882 / REFORM 486 / FREEDOM 228

Ogmore: Labour - HOLD - Huw Irranca-Davies

Lab 12,868 / Plaid Cymru 4,703 / Con 4,579 / Abolish 660 / Propel 625 / Reform 618 / Lib Dem 441

Pontypridd: Labour - HOLD - Mick Antoniw

LAB 11,511 / PLAID 6,183 / CON 5,658 / IND 1,678 / ABOLISH 785 / GREEN 655 / LIB DEM 628 / REFORM 458

Preseli Pembrokeshire: Conservative - hold - Paul Davies

Con 12,295 / Lab 10,895 / Plaid 6,135 / Reform 1,239 / Lib Dem 952

Rhondda: Labour - GAIN - Elizabeth Williams

LAB 12,832 / PLAID 7,335 / CON 1,490 / PROPEL 525 / ABOLISH 430 / REFORM 355 / FREEDOM 291 / LIB DEM 200

Swansea East: Labour -HOLD - Mike Hedges

Lab 12950 / Con 2947 / Lib Dems 1055 / Plaid 3250 / Reform 295 / Abolish 484 / UKIP 567

Swansea West: Labour - HOLD - Julie James

Lab 11,126 / Con 4,605 / Plaid Cymru 3,910 / Lib Dem 1,645 / Green 1,109 / Abolish 866 / Freedom 295 / Reform 250 / Propel 189

Torfaen: Labour - HOLD - Lynne Neagle

LAB 11,572 / CON 6,251 / PLAID 2,564 / LIB DEM 1,180 / UKIP 895 / REFORM 730 / FREEDOM 522 / GWLAD 239

Vale of Clwyd: Conservatives - Gareth Davies

Con 10,792 / Lab 10,426 / Plaid 2,972 / Lib Dems 782 / Reform 552 / Ind 529

Vale of Glamorgan: Labour - HOLD - Jane Hutt

LAB 18,667 / CONS 15,397 / PLAID 3,699 / ABOLISH 1,394 / GREEN 1,262 / LIB DEMS 994 PROPEL 426 / REFORM 416 / IND 237 / GWLAD 226

Wrexham: Labour - HOLD - Lesley Griffiths

Lab 8,452 / Con 7,102 / Plaid 4,832 / Abolish 790 / Lib Dem 755 / UKIP 378 / Reform 187 / Gwlad 110

Ynys Mon: Plaid Cymru - HOLD - Rhun ap Iorwerth

Plaid 15,506 / Con 5,689 / Lab 5,300 / Reform 692 / Lib Dem 547

Results for Regions:

North Wales:

CON - Mark Isherwood

CON - Sam Rowlands

PLAID - Llyr Gruffydd

LAB - Carolyn Thomas

Mid and West Wales:

LAB - Eluned Morgan

LAB - Joyce Watson

PLAID - Cefin Campbell

LIB DEM - Jane Dodds

South Wales West: CON - Thomas Gifford

CON - Altaf Hussein

PLAID - Sioned Williams

PLAID - Luke Fletcher

South Wales Central: due to be announced today

South Wales East: due to be announced today

Other elections

In some parts of Wales, however, there will be a further count if there are any elections for county or community by-elections.

Such is the case on Anglesey, where voters in the Seiriol and Caergybi wards were faced with four ballot papers, and the Gwernymynydd ward in Flintshire.

There will be a longer wait for the results of the various Police and Crime Commissioner Elections across Wales, however, with counting not set to take place until Sunday (May 9).

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