Your Voice - Your Vote - Your Wales
The National Assembly for Wales and You
From May 2007, the National Assembly will have new law-making powers in matters which affect our daily lives such as health, the environment, education and training, highways and transport, housing, social welfare, economic development and tourism, culture, sport and recreation. The Assembly will be able to pass laws, to be known as Assembly Measures, which reflect the specific needs and concerns of the people of Wales. You can influence what happens in Wales by:
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voting in the elections to the National Assembly for Wales
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meeting your Assembly Members (AMs) at their local surgeries
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lobbying AMs to support issues you feel strongly about, which could lead to a change in the law
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putting your name to public petitions about matters which you want the Assembly to address
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participating in public consultations
How do I vote on 3 May 2007?
When you go to your polling station on 3 May 2007, you will have two votes.
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With the first vote, you choose between candidates standing in your constituency. The winning candidate will represent your constituency. There are 40 constituency seats across Wales – each represented in the National Assembly.
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With the second vote, made on a separate ballot paper of a different colour, you choose a political party or individual candidate to represent your region. There are four regional members for each of the five electoral regions in Wales.
Regional Assembly Members are elected according to the proportion of votes the political parties (and individual regional candidates) receive overall. This method of voting is called the Additional Member System, and it results in the overall political balance of the Assembly reflecting more proportionately the votes cast.
More information
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Contact the electoral services office at your local council. You can find the contact details in your phone book, or on our website, www.aboutmyvote.co.uk
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Visit www.wales.gov.uk for more information about the National Assembly for Wales