Wales will become the first devolved nation in the UK to trial registering voters automatically using data to identify potential electors.

Four local authorities across Wales will be taking part in automatic voter registration pilots, helping make democratic participation more accessible and inclusive.

The pilots, established under the Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Act 2024, will test different approaches to registering voters without requiring formal applications. Instead, they will focus exclusively on the local government register, which is also used for Senedd elections.

Carmarthenshire and Powys will be making a replica of the local government register using locally held data. This will allow them to compare which data sources would best identify the local electorate, without changing the existing register.

Gwynedd, Newport and Powys will identify and verify potential electors using council-held data, before adding them to the register. Gwynedd's pilot also includes additional outreach work targeting harder-to-reach communities.

Potential electors identified through the pilots will soon receive notification letters explaining the process and their options, including the right to opt out, with a 60-day response period before addition to the register.

These new electors will not be added to the open version of the local government register, which is available for marketing purposes, safeguarding the privacy of people added to the register automatically.

Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government, Jayne Bryant, said: “By removing barriers to registration, this pioneering work is helping to ensure everyone can participate in our democratic process, particularly young people and traditionally underrepresented groups.

"This initiative follows our extension of voting rights to 16 and 17-year-olds and qualifying foreign nationals for Senedd and local elections, demonstrating our ongoing commitment to a more inclusive democracy in Wales."

The Electoral Commission will evaluate the pilots by the end of this year.

The Welsh Government will then consider the findings.