Election hopefuls have just days to send their nominations in

Senedd election hopefuls for the new Gwynedd Maldwyn constituency will need to send their nominations off to Cyngor Gwynedd by Thursday, April 9.

Voters go to the polls on Thursday, May 7, in a vastly different Senedd election this time around.

The Senedd will go up from 60 members to 96 with fewer and larger constituencies created by pairing up Wales’ 32 Westminster seats into 16 super constituencies.

Each seat will have six Senedd Members that will be chosen using a form of proportional representation using a formula called the D’Hondt method.

This is supposed to make sure seats are allocated to closely reflect their share of the vote.

The Gwynedd Maldwyn seat – Wales’ largest constituency encompasses parts of both North and Mid Wales and is made up by pairing the UK Parliamentary constituencies of Dwyfor Meirionnydd with Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr.

It goes from the Caernarfon on the Menai Strait, down the Llyn peninsula, past Porthmadog and down the cost towards Aberdyfi and Machynlleth.

It then stretches east to the border with England and includes, Bala, Corwen and Chirk as well as Welshpool, Newtown and then carries on downs south to Llanidloes and beyond.

Cyngor Gwynedd is managing the election for Gwynedd Maldwyn and counting of the ballots will take place in Caernarfon.

The returning officer for the constituency is Dafydd Gibbard the chief executive of Cyngor Gwynedd.

Nominations will be accepted up  to 4pm on Thursday April 9, excluding weekends and bank holidays.

Forms and information relating to the nomination process are available on the Electoral Commission website.

The council says that candidates can submit their nomination forms in-person or electronically:

In person appointments can be made between 9am and 5pm to submit the nomination papers and these can be made by phoning (01766) 771000 or by e-mailing etholiad@gwynedd.llyw.cyrmu

Electronically nomination papers can be are submitted electronically by e-mail to enwebiadau@gwynedd.llyw.cymru

The  e-mail must arrive no later than 4 pm on April 9.

To stand in the election costs £500 for an individual candidate or £500 for the top  party list candidate and £200 for each of the next five candidates –

This is fee is known as  a “deposit” and they can be lost if an individual or political party has received less than five per cent of the total votes cast in the constituency.

Already a list of  41 potential candidates have thrown their hats into the ring ready to contest the election.

The current list of candidates are:

Conservative

 Aled Davies
Henrietta Hensher
Peter Lewington
Hedd Thomas
Daniel Spilsbury
Roger Cracknell.
Green Party

Nathan Jarvis
Nicole Wait
Sue MacFarlane
Sian Thomas
Curtis Wilford
Edward Mason
Gwlad

Jeremy Davies

Heritage Party

Mattie Ginsburg

Labour

Ian Parry
Dawn McGuinness
Steffan Chambers
Dana Davies
Mathew Norman
Morgan Peters

Liberal Democrats

Glyn Preston
Stephen Churchman
Richard Church
Pete Roberts
Carol Robinson
Chris Lloyd

Plaid Cymru

Sian Gwenllian
Mabon ap Gwynfor
Beca Brown
Elwyn Vaughan
Elin Hywel
Donna O’Brien
Victoria Evans
Elfed Wyn ap Elwyn

Reform UK

Andrew Griffin.
Clare Johnson-Wood.
Karl Lewis.
Phillip Robinson.
Mark Blake.
Richard Pendry.

Independent

Monty Kennard.

By Elgan Hearn, Local Democracy Reporting Service