Why should we vote in the Senedd elections?

Voting in the Senedd elections helps you have a say in who will decide some of the things that affect your life.

During a Senedd election people in Wales decide who they want to represent them and their local area in the Welsh Parliament.  

People with a learning disability, mental ill-health and autistic people have as much right to vote as anyone else.

Watch Mirus Ambassador, Alex’s video or read on below to learn more:

What does the Senedd do?

The Senedd make laws, policies and decisions for Wales about:

• Hospitals, GPs and healthcare
• Supported living and other support services
• Housing
• Some transport, like road and rail
• Education
• The economy
• The Welsh language
• Some taxes in Wales

What could we think about when voting?

There is no right or wrong way to vote. You can make your own decision about who to vote for based on what the parties believe about what is important to you.

Nobody can tell you who to vote for. You don’t have to tell anyone who you voted for. You are allowed to tell people though. You can even lie about who you voted for if you wanted!

Voting can have a big impact on you.

At Mirus, we know what we want to see. A world where people with learning disabilities and autistic people are happy, safe and welcomed everywhere.

When you decide who to vote for, you might want to think about:  

• What matters most in your life
• What support you need now and in the future
• What you would like to change or improve in your community
• What is already working well for you

You can then choose to vote for the independent candidate or party that has ideas that you think best matches what is important to you.

The Senedd election takes place on 7th May 2026.

How will you know what the politicians want to do?

You will be able to find out what different parties and candidates think by:

• Reading leaflets or information they share
• Watching or listening to news
• Looking at their websites
• Talking to people you trust

If you are not sure, you can ask someone you trust to help you understand the information. They should only support you to make your own choice and should not make the choice for you.

Are there any questions you could ask politicians or other people?

You can ask people who knock on your door, or phone you, or online, anything you want about their plans.

You could ask them questions like:

• What are your plans for people with learning disabilities, mental ill-health and / or autistic people?
• What have you said about learning disabilities, mental ill-health and autism in your manifesto?
• How much money have you said you would spend on learning disabilities, mental ill-health and autism?
• What do you know about learning disabilities, mental ill-health and autism?
• Have you got an Easy Read version of your plans for me to read?

To find out more about the upcoming Senedd election, how to register (by April 20th), and how and when to vote, as well as some links to great Easy Read resources, click this link.