Democracy Group Cymru

With 16 and 17 year olds and all foreign nationals now able to vote in Welsh elections, ERS Cymru has been helping to bring together organisations keen to encourage more people to engage in Welsh democracy.

The group was established in 2020 ahead of the Senedd elections in 2021, which were the first to increase the franchise to 16 & 17 year olds as well as qualifying foreign citizens, to:

• Understand the existing engagement work ongoing across Wales
• Reduce the risk of duplicating work
• Promote collaborative working across organisations
• Facilitate engagement with target groups

There are currently 60+ organisations from across Wales involved in the group and we are now looking forward to the 2022 local elections and beyond.

Membership

The group is open to all organisations interested in increasing democratic engagement in Wales with a particular focus on those working with newly enfranchised groups and those less likely to vote. If you’d like to join the group, please email Nia.Thomas@electoral-reform.org.uk

Meetings

In general meetings are held on a 6-weekly basis for 1 hour online. However, the frequency of meetings may increase with proximity to Welsh elections.

Meeting notes are circulated to the full mailing list after each meeting.

You can read the full terms of reference with more details on the purpose and objectives of the group.