Pre-election publicity guidance Senedd Elections 2026

What is the council allowed to do?

The Council are allowed to:

1. Continue to discharge normal Council business (including budget consultations or determining planning and licencing applications, even if they are controversial).
2. The publication of press notices and information regarding the holding of polls are exempt from these restrictions, as is providing factual responses to specific requests for information, for example, information about how people can register to vote.
3. Councils may also publish information relating to the election which is purely informative or factual such as the date of the election, how to obtain a postal vote and the location of polling stations. However, all factual information relating to an election must be published in the form specified by the relevant legislation or in such a way that it does not give prominence to information relating to any candidate, candidates or political party. Other authorities may reference this material on their own websites.
4. It is also acceptable for the Council to respond in appropriate circumstances to events and legitimate service enquires provided their answers are factual and not favourable to a political party. Members holding key political or civic positions should be able to comment in an emergency or where there is a genuine need for a response to an important event outside the authority’s control. Proactive events arranged in this period should not involve members likely to be standing for election.
5. The Council may publish factual information about candidates if requested to do so by the relevant Constituency Returning Officer or to counteract misleading, controversial or extreme (for example, racist/sexist) information.
6. Candidates and/or political parties can legitimately issue their own press releases or public information. It should be clear that these represent the views of those individual candidates/parties however and not that of the Council.

It is crucial that any decision made would be seen as fair and reasonable by the public and those standing for office.

If in any doubt, seek advice from the Constituency Returning Officer and/or monitoring officer, legal or communications colleagues.