Wales exempts candidate security from election spend

If you’re planning to stand for your local council in Wales, the rulebook has just shifted. From 13 March 2026, a Welsh Order takes reasonable candidate safety and property‑protection costs out of local election spending totals - and it applies to county/county borough and community council polls held on or after 7 May 2026. (laiddocuments.senedd.wales)

Here’s the precise legal tweak. The Order deletes a single phrase - “Except in relation to a local government election in Wales,” - from paragraph 13A of Schedule 4A to the Representation of the People Act 1983. With those words gone, the UK‑wide security‑costs exclusion now covers Welsh local elections too. Paragraph 13A was created in 2024 to make space for reasonable security spending in election law. (laiddocuments.senedd.wales)

Why this matters. In 2024, UK regulations made it explicit that reasonable security costs at reserved elections should not count towards spending limits. That clarity didn’t reach local government contests in Wales, so ministers consulted and have now extended the same safeguard to council and community council candidates. (hansard.parliament.uk)

What it changes for you. If you’re a candidate or an agent, security‑related items that are reasonable and clearly about protecting people or property no longer eat into the legal spending limit for your campaign - for poll dates on or after 7 May 2026. (laiddocuments.senedd.wales)

What actually counts as “security”. The Electoral Commission’s guidance for the 2026 Senedd election gives helpful examples: hiring trained security staff for public events, using a PO Box so your home address isn’t on imprints, or buying antivirus software to protect campaign computers. Expect updated local‑election guidance to mirror this approach. (electoralcommission.org.uk)

What it doesn’t do. Leaflets, adverts, events and all the usual campaigning still count towards your limit. Security costs must be reasonable and genuinely for protection, not promotion. Keep clear records and invoices so your spending return can show why the cost was for safety rather than campaigning. (electoralcommission.org.uk)

Timing check for by‑elections. The Order is in force from 13 March 2026, but it does not affect any local government poll held before 7 May 2026. If your by‑election poll date is before then, the old rules apply; if it’s on or after that date, the new exclusion is available. (laiddocuments.senedd.wales)

How we got here. Welsh Ministers launched a 12‑week consultation in October 2025 to align local election rules with recent Senedd changes on candidate safety. An integrated impact assessment followed in February 2026, before the draft was approved by the Senedd and made by Ministers. (gov.wales)

Checks and balances. The instrument notes that Ministers consulted the Electoral Commission and that the Senedd approved the draft before it was made - a standard pathway for secondary legislation. The power to make this change comes from Schedule 4A to the 1983 Act, as transferred to Welsh Ministers in 2018. (laiddocuments.senedd.wales)

Classroom prompt. Read the first page of the instrument together and spot how law is built: a clear title, a commencement date, a transitional line about “polls before 7 May 2026”, and one instruction to “omit” a phrase. One line can make campaigning safer without changing headline spending caps.

If you’re standing this year or next, plan security early, keep it separate from your campaign budget, and speak with your agent about what is “reasonable” for your area and risk. The Electoral Commission will update practical guidance for local elections - check for the latest before you spend. (electoralcommission.org.uk)

This explainer is for learning, not legal advice. For exact rules, read the Order and follow the Electoral Commission’s guidance when preparing your spending return. (laiddocuments.senedd.wales)