The Use of Technology in Elections

Part of 2. Questions to the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution – in the Senedd at 2:23 pm on 22 September 2021.

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Photo of Peredur Owen Griffiths Peredur Owen Griffiths Plaid Cymru 2:23, 22 September 2021

Diolch. During the recent Senedd elections, there was some innovative use of technology in one constituency around the way in which the voting was marked on the register. Traditionally, the record of who has voted has been done by pen and paper, but this was carried out on tablets by polling station staff in Blaenau Gwent. For the avoidance of any doubt, I'm referring to the record of who has voted, rather than electronic voting, which is another matter altogether. I can only see positives from the use of technology in this facet of the voting process, as it cuts down on human error and results in more accurate data when it comes to producing the marked register. Is the Welsh Government, therefore, going to promote the use of good practice with technology during elections along the lines that I've outlined?