7. Debate: Voter Inclusion

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:55 pm on 9 November 2021.

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Photo of Mike Hedges Mike Hedges Labour 5:55, 9 November 2021

The one action that has improved election turnout is postal votes being provided on request. Unfortunately for democracy, the American Republicans and the British Conservatives want to remove voters from demographics unfavourable to them and to make voting more difficult for those people.

Everyone believes that elections in Wales should be free and fair. If we want that, the best way forward is to enforce electoral expenditure and ensure constituency spend is shown as constituency spend, not as national spend.

The UK Government's Elections Bill is either dealing with a problem that does not exist or trying to stop electors voting—I'll let you come to your own conclusions. Our biggest challenge is getting voters to vote. At the Senedd election this year, turnout in Swansea East was 35.41 per cent, with only Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney, at 34.8 per cent, being lower. While 2021 had the highest turnout since the Senedd was established, it still falls short of 50 per cent. One of the jobs of candidates and their campaign teams is to enthuse people to vote. Anything that makes it more difficult to get them out to vote is definitely not going to help. Some people do not believe that who gets elected matters, despite the evidence for them on the different responses on things like COVID and the areas that fall under the control of the Senedd. How much more difficult will it be to get people to vote if they have to go and try and find something they can go and show to prove who they are? It's going to make it even more difficult—