As members of Carmarthenshire Youth Council, we were excited to organise Meet the Candidates 2026 earlier this year, an event that gave young people the chance to meet the people hoping to represent us in the Senedd elections.
We worked with Carmarthenshire County Council’s Youth Support Service, Foothold Cymru’s Future Changemakers, The Politics Project and the Senedd Education and Youth Engagement Team to plan and run our Meet the candidates youth hustings event.
With voting rights now extended to everyone aged 16 and over in Wales, it is more important than ever that young people understand politics and feel confident having their say. That is exactly what this event was all about.
The event brought together Senedd election candidates from different political parties and gave young people the opportunity to ask questions directly. Instead of hearing politicians talk through social media or the news, we were able to have real conversations about issues affecting our lives and futures.
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Youth Council member Kaya Mainwaring, a member of the Planning Team said “Being part of Meet the Candidates 2026 was a great opportunity to help young people have their voices heard. It was amazing to see so many young people asking questions, sharing their views and engaging with democracy.”
One of the biggest benefits of the event was the confidence it gave young people. Speaking directly to election candidates can feel intimidating, but the event created a welcoming space where every question was valued.
Young people asked questions on a range of topics, including:
★ The rising cost of living
★ Education and opportunities for young people
★ Mental health support
★ Housing and employment
★ Climate change and the environment
A lot of young people told us they felt more informed about politics afterwards and had a better understanding of how decisions made in the Senedd affect their everyday lives. Some said it was the first time they had ever spoken to a politician face-to-face. The feedback we received was overwhelmingly positive and young people told us they enjoyed being able to ask questions that were important to them and appreciated hearing different viewpoints from across the political parties.
We believe events such as Meet the Candidates are very important because young people are not just the future, they are part of the present. The decisions made by politicians today will shape the lives of young people for years to come.
If we do not get involved now, decisions about our future may be made without our views being considered. By creating opportunities for young people to engage directly with political representatives, we can help ensure that youth voices remain at the heart of Welsh democracy. Meet the Candidates 2026 showed that when young people are given the opportunity to participate, they are ready to speak up, ask challenging questions and make a real contribution to public life. We are proud to have helped create that opportunity and look forward to seeing even more young people get involved in the future.
FIND OUT MORE!
Want to learn more about how democracy works in Wales, how voting happens, or what the Senedd does?
Visit the Senedd Cymru website to explore easy to understand information, videos and resources about Welsh democracy and elections. Even if you are not old enough to vote yet, learning about democracy is important because the decisions made by elected representatives can affect things like schools, transport, healthcare and the environment. By understanding how democracy works and getting involved in discussions about the issues that matter to you, you can help shape the future of Wales.
