People in Wales will have their personal data better protected after the Senedd approved regulations abolishing the open electoral register.

The Representation of the People (Removal of the Edited Register) (Wales) Regulations 2026 will end the practice of selling voters' details to direct marketing and other commercial organisations.

The changes will take effect after May’s Senedd elections and will apply to the register used for future local and Senedd elections.

The change also unlocks the next stage of democratic reform – as under the Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Act 2024, automatic voter registration cannot be rolled out until the open register is abolished.

Cabinet Secretary for Local Government, Jayne Bryant, said the move is a “significant step forward for Welsh democracy.”