Rebecca Evans MS, Minister for Finance and Local Government
The Welsh Government has published details of the costs incurred by returning officers in the delivery of the 2021 Senedd elections. In total this amounted to £4,584,209.58.
The Senedd Cymru (Returning Officers’ Charges) Order 2021 set out the maximum amount returning officers can claim for the delivery of the election. Returning officers are required to record amounts relating to the costs for the election and within a given time submit accounts of actual costs and supporting documentation for checking. When all accounts have been checked and queries resolved the accounts are settled.
The expenditure is met by the Welsh Government from the Welsh Consolidated Fund. The 2021 Senedd elections were combined with the election of Police and Crime Commissioners in Wales. The published data reflects the costs of the Senedd elections only. The data includes, amongst other things, the costs of the hire of premises, printing poll cards and ballot papers and staff costs. It also includes additional one-off costs which were incurred as a result of Covid 19, reflecting the unprecedented circumstances under which these elections were held. For the same reason, the costs relating to services rendered by electoral administrators remained for the 2021 Senedd elections. The intention is to remove these elements for the 2026 Senedd elections.
Costs paid directly out of the Welsh Consolidated Fund such as postal costs for candidate mail shots are not included, this amounted to £5,503,260.
A link to the data is available here: Senedd elections costs: 2021