There will be no overnight count next year for the Senedd election, it has been confirmed.

Votes at the 7 May Senedd election will be counted on Friday the Electoral Management Board has declared, claiming that daytime counts 'have become common practice in Wales'.

Vote counting will start at 9am on the Friday, instead of the traditional race to get ballot boxes to a central counting hub and late night declarations.

The 2021 election count was conducted the day after voting as were the 2024 Police and Crime Commissioner election and 2022 Local Government elections.

The Electoral Management Board has decided to continue with daytime counts following consultation with Returning Officers and the Electoral Commission.

Giving its reasoning, the Electoral Management Board said it hoped a day time count would give people more of a chance to keep up with developments and ensure election staff are well-rested.

The Board added: “While all counts must start between 9am and 11am on Friday 8 May and most constituencies will verify the number of ballots on 8 May, the direction gives flexibility to Returning Officers wishing to verify ballot papers immediately following the close of poll at 10pm on Thursday 7 May.

“Verification refers to counting the number of ballot papers present to make sure it matches the number of ballot papers issued.

“It is expected that a small number of Returning Officers may choose to verify overnight.”

The Electoral Management Board was established in 2025 to coordinate devolved elections in Wales.

Chief Executive of the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru, Shereen Williams MBE OStJ said: “A daytime count helps to make sure that more people are able to watch the all-important counting of the votes.

"The clarity given will also help Returning Officers to recruit and manage the workload of their election staff.”