今天，我们来简单了解一下 威尔士议会（Welsh Parliament / Senedd Cymru），以及为什么参与议会选举与你、你的家庭和社区息息相关。
Today, let’s take a quick look at the Welsh Parliament (Welsh Parliament / Senedd Cymru) and why taking part in the parliamentary election is closely related to you, your family, and your community.
威尔士议会的前身是 威尔士国民议会。在最初成立时，它的立法权比较有限，很多重要政策仍然由伦敦的英国议会决定。直到 2011 年的一次全民公投，威尔士选民投票支持扩大议会权力，使威尔士能够在更多政策领域自己做决定。
The predecessor of the Welsh Parliament was the National Assembly for Wales. When it was first established, its legislative powers were quite limited, with many important policies still decided by the UK Parliament in London. It wasn’t until the 2011 referendum that Welsh voters supported expanding the Assembly’s powers so that Wales could make its own decisions in more policy areas.
随着权力逐渐扩大，2020 年 5 月 6 日，威尔士国民议会正式更名为 威尔士议会，以反映其不断增强的责任和角色。
As powers gradually increased, on 6 May 2020 the National Assembly for Wales was officially renamed the Welsh Parliament, reflecting its growing responsibilities and role.
2026 年威尔士议会选举 The 2026 Welsh Parliament Election
下一次威尔士议会选举将在 2026 年 5 月 7 日（星期四） 举行，并带来一些重要变化。
The next Welsh Parliament election will take place on Thursday, 7 May 2026, and will include several important changes.
根据新的选举法律，从 2026 年起 威尔士议会议员人数将从 60 人增加到 96 人。威尔士也将被划分为 16 个选区，每个选区选出 6 名议员。同时，议会选举将改为 每四年举行一次。
Under the new election law, from 2026 the number of Members of the Senedd (MSs) will increase from 60 to 96. Wales will be divided into 16 constituencies, and each constituency will elect 6 members. The parliamentary term will also change to a four-year election cycle.
另一个重要的变化是将投票年龄降至 16 岁。这意味着，只要在选举日当天年满 16 岁并符合相关资格，就可以参与投票，选择政党或独立候选人，为威尔士的未来发声。
Another major change is lowering the voting age to 16. This means that anyone who is 16 or older on election day, and meets the relevant criteria, can vote for a political party or independent candidate to have a say in Wales’s future.
任何年满 16 岁并居住在威尔士的人都可以参加威尔士议会选举投票。英国公民、欧盟公民以及居住在威尔士的国际学生都具备投票资格。您不需要在威尔士长大，也不需要认同自己是威尔士人，只要居住在威尔士并拥有住址，就可以注册投票。
Anyone aged 16 or above who lives in Wales can vote in the Welsh Parliament election. Eligible voters include UK citizens, EU citizens, and international students living in Wales. You do not need to have grown up in Wales, nor identify as Welsh. As long as you live in Wales and have an address, you can register to vote.
如果你想在这次选举中投票，需要 在 2026 年 4 月 20 日之前注册投票。如果无法在当天到投票站，也可以申请邮寄投票，截止日期为 4 月 21 日。
If you want to vote in this election, you must register before 20 April 2026. If you cannot go to the polling station on election day, you can apply for a postal vote (deadline: 21 April).
注册投票非常简单，可以在网上完成，通常只需要几分钟。注册后，你会收到一封信件，告知你的投票站地点。
Registering to vote is very simple and can be completed online in just a few minutes. After registering, you will receive a letter telling you where your polling station is located.
投票当天时间为 早上 7 点到晚上 10 点。与英国议会选举不同，威尔士议会选举不需要选民身份证（Voter ID）。
On polling day, voting hours are 7:00 am to 10:00 pm. Unlike UK general elections, no voter ID is required to vote in the Welsh Parliament election.
如果当天不方便到投票站，你还可以选择邮寄投票，或申请代理投票（Proxy Vote），由你信任的人代替你投票。
If you are unable to go to the polling station on the day, you can also choose postal voting or apply for a proxy vote, allowing a trusted person to vote on your behalf.
如果这是你第一次投票，可以查看官方指南：
If this is your first time voting, you can check the official guide here:
你可能会问，我应该投给谁？You may ask: Who should I vote for?
很多人第一次投票时都会问：“我应该投给谁？” Many people voting for the first time wonder, “Who should I vote for?”
其实，每个人的选择都不同。一个简单的方法是先了解各政党的政党宣言，再想一想哪些议题与你的生活最相关，比如 医疗、教育、住房、就业或交通。
Everyone makes different choices. A simple method is to start by reading each party’s manifesto and think about which issues matter most to you, such as healthcare, education, housing, jobs, or transport.
什么是政党宣言（Manifesto）？What is a manifesto?
在威尔士议会选举中，大多数候选人都代表某个政治政党参选。选举前，各政党都会发布一份 “政党宣言”。In Welsh Parliament elections, most candidates represent a political party. Before the election, each party publishes a manifesto.
简单来说，宣言就是政党的政策计划书。它会说明，如果该政党赢得选举，他们计划优先解决哪些问题，以及未来几年希望推动哪些政策。Simply put, a manifesto is the party’s policy plan. It explains the issues the party will prioritise if they win the election, and the policies they hope to introduce in the coming years.
通过阅读政党宣言，选民可以了解不同政党在 医疗、教育、住房、就业、移民以及社会公平 等议题上的立场。By reading manifestos, voters can understand where each party stands on issues such as healthcare, education, housing, employment, immigration, and social justice.
威尔士主要政党的政策方向 Policy Directions of Major Welsh Political Parties
目前威尔士有几大主要政党参与威尔士议会选举，各自的政策重点也有所不同。
威尔士工党（Welsh Labour） 目前是威尔士政府的主要执政党，其政策重点是加强公共服务和改善民生。他们主张增加对 NHS 医疗系统的投资，例如改善医院服务、缩短医疗等待时间，并提出让更多人能够更快获得心理健康支持。同时，他们计划改善公共交通，例如把公交车单程票价上限设为 2 英镑、维持 21 岁以下 1 英镑票价 和 60 岁以上免费乘车，并计划新增 100 条公交线路，让更多社区能够方便前往工作地点、医院和火车站。
此外，工党也强调推动 可再生能源和绿色产业发展，希望通过能源转型降低能源费用、创造新的就业机会，并提高威尔士经济的长期稳定性。
Currently the main governing party in Wales, Welsh Labour focuses on improving public services and people’s wellbeing. Their priorities include increasing investment in the NHS, improving hospital services, reducing waiting times, and expanding access to mental health support.
They also plan to improve public transport—for example, capping bus fares at £2, maintaining £1 fares for under-21s and free travel for over-60s, and adding 100 new bus routes so more communities can easily reach workplaces, hospitals, and train stations.
Labour also emphasises the development of renewable energy and the green economy to reduce energy costs, create jobs, and strengthen Wales’s long-term economic stability.
威尔士党（Plaid Cymru） 是一个强调威尔士民族认同和自治权力的政党，长期目标包括让威尔士拥有更大的政治自主权，并在未来争取独立。在政策方面，他们强调提高公共服务质量，例如增加医疗系统的资金和人员，以改善 NHS 服务并缩短治疗等待时间。同时，他们提出改善威尔士的财政体系，争取更多来自英国中央政府的公平资金，并把这些资源投入到公共交通、医疗和社区发展中。该党也关注家庭生活成本问题，例如提出提高儿童福利，以帮助更多家庭应对生活压力并减少儿童贫困。
Plaid Cymru focuses on Welsh national identity and increased autonomy, with a long-term aim of achieving independence.
Their policies include boosting funding and staffing for the NHS to reduce waiting times, improving Wales’s financial settlement from the UK Government, and using these funds for public transport, healthcare, and community development.
They also emphasise supporting families, such as increasing child benefits to reduce child poverty.
威尔士保守党（Welsh Conservatives） 的政策重点通常放在减少政府规模、降低公共开支以及推动经济增长。他们认为威尔士政府的行政体系过于庞大，因此主张减少公务员人数、控制政府开支，并通过更高效的管理方式节约公共资金。在经济政策方面，他们支持改善交通和基础设施建设，例如升级主要公路网络，以促进商业发展和区域经济联系。同时，他们也强调维护 英国的统一，反对进一步扩大威尔士议会的权力或推动独立相关的政治进程。
The Welsh Conservatives focus on reducing the size of government, cutting public spending, and promoting economic growth.
They argue that the Welsh Government is too large and support reducing civil service numbers and controlling costs.
Economically, they support improving roads and major infrastructure to strengthen business links.
They also support maintaining the United Kingdom’s unity and oppose increasing Wales’s devolved powers or moves towards independence.
英国改革党（Reform UK） 的政策立场更偏向右翼民粹主义，重点强调减少政府干预和降低税收。他们提出在未来几年降低威尔士所得税，让居民能够保留更多收入，并希望通过减少监管和取消部分气候政策来促进经济增长。该党也反对一些交通政策，例如城市地区默认 20 英里/小时限速，认为这类政策影响经济效率和交通流动。此外，他们主张更严格的移民政策，并强调在住房、福利和公共资源方面优先满足本地居民的需求。
Reform UK takes a more right-wing, populist stance, focusing on reducing government intervention and lowering taxes.
They propose reducing income tax in Wales, cutting regulations, and scrapping some climate policies to boost the economy.
They oppose policies like the default 20 mph speed limit, arguing it harms economic efficiency.
They also advocate stricter immigration policy and prioritising local residents in housing, welfare, and public resources.
自由民主党（Liberal Democrats） 的政策重点是改善医疗服务、教育机会以及推动绿色经济。他们提出让更多人能够快速预约 GP 医生和 NHS 牙医，并扩大心理健康服务，以更早帮助有需要的人。同时，他们主张通过投资可再生能源和房屋保温改造来降低能源费用，并创造新的绿色就业机会。在教育方面，自由民主党强调增加对学校和教师的投资，并为年轻人提供更多国际学习和交流机会，例如参与欧洲教育项目。
The Liberal Democrats focus on improving healthcare, education, and the green economy.
They propose easier access to GP appointments and NHS dentists, expanding mental health services, and investing in renewable energy and home insulation to reduce energy bills while creating green jobs.
In education, they support more funding for schools, teachers, and international learning opportunities such as European exchange programmes.
威尔士绿党（Green Party） 则把应对气候变化作为政策核心。他们主张通过 绿色新政（Green New Deal） 推动经济转型，大规模发展风能和太阳能等可再生能源，同时建设更多环保和节能住房。绿党认为这种绿色投资不仅可以减少碳排放，也能创造大量新的就业机会。除此之外，他们还提出一些更具社会改革性质的政策，例如推动 全民基本收入（UBI），以减少贫困和收入不平等，并帮助人们有更多时间参与学习、照顾家庭或社区活动。
The Green Party puts climate action at the centre of its policies.
They support a Green New Deal, investing heavily in renewable energy such as wind and solar power, and building more eco-friendly housing.
They believe green investment can reduce emissions and create large numbers of new jobs.
They also propose broader social reforms, such as introducing Universal Basic Income (UBI) to reduce poverty and inequality and to allow people more time for learning, caring responsibilities, or community participation.
你的投票很重要 Your Vote Matters
威尔士议会的决策会直接影响威尔士许多重要政策，例如 医疗服务、教育资源、住房政策、社区发展、学费和社会福利。
The Welsh Parliament makes decisions on important areas such as healthcare, education, housing, community development, tuition fees, and social welfare.
这些政策看似离我们很远，但其实会影响我们的日常生活，也会影响我们的家庭和下一代。
These issues may seem distant, but they directly affect our daily lives—your family, your children, and your future.
因此，参与投票不仅是一项权利，也是表达意见的重要方式。
Therefore, voting is not only a right but an important way to express your views.
如果你符合资格但还没有注册投票，现在就可以花几分钟完成注册。
If you are eligible but haven’t registered yet, you can take a few minutes to register now.
用你的一票，参与塑造威尔士的未来。让你的声音成为改变的一部分。
Use your vote to help shape the future of Wales. Let your voice be part of the change.
