Polling stations have now closed across Wales in what is being described as the most significant Senedd election since devolution began in 1999.

Voters across North Wales joined millions of people nationwide in casting ballots in an election that will reshape the Welsh Parliament for the first time in its history, with major changes to how people vote, how seats are allocated and even who is allowed to take part in the democratic process.

Counting centres across Wales are now preparing for the next stage of the process, but unlike a UK General Election, the votes themselves will not be counted overnight.

Instead, ballot boxes are being transported to count venues where verification checks may begin to ensure all ballot papers are properly accounted for before official counting starts on Friday morning.

Under guidance from Wales’ Electoral Management Board, all Senedd election counts will begin between 9am and 11am on Friday. Because this election is using an entirely new voting system and larger constituencies, officials expect the process to take longer than previous Welsh elections.

The first declarations are expected around lunchtime on Friday, while political experts believe a clearer national picture may begin to emerge later in the afternoon. It could be late afternoon or early evening before it becomes clearer which party — or possible coalition of parties — is on course to form the next Welsh Government.

This election marks the first time the Senedd has operated under a completely redesigned electoral system.

Instead of the previous arrangement of 60 Members of the Senedd (MSs), Wales will now elect 96 politicians to Cardiff Bay. The increase was introduced to strengthen scrutiny within the Welsh Parliament as its powers and responsibilities have grown significantly since devolution.

The old Additional Member System — where voters chose both a constituency candidate and a regional party list — has now been scrapped.

In its place is a new proportional “closed list” system. Voters now cast a single vote for a political party or independent candidate, rather than an individual constituency representative. Seats are then allocated proportionally using the D’Hondt formula.

The changes also mean Wales has been politically redrawn.

The previous 40 constituencies have been replaced by 16 larger “super constituencies”, each electing six Members of the Senedd.

For North Wales, that means major changes to the electoral map. New constituencies now include Bangor Conwy Môn, Clwyd, Fflint Wrecsam and Gwynedd Maldwyn — combining communities that were previously represented separately.

The reshaped boundaries mean votes from coastal towns, rural communities and major population centres across North Wales are now grouped together in far larger electoral areas than ever before.

Another historic feature of this election is that 16 and 17-year-olds have been able to vote in a Senedd election for the first time.

The change was introduced as part of wider democratic reforms aimed at encouraging greater participation among younger people in Wales. Schools, colleges and youth organisations across North Wales have spent months promoting voter registration and helping first-time voters understand the new system.

The expansion of the Senedd and introduction of proportional representation is designed to make election results more reflective of how people vote across Wales overall, rather than producing a system dominated by constituency winners alone.

With 96 seats now available, a party would need 49 seats for an outright majority in the new-look Senedd.

Political analysts say the reforms could produce a very different political landscape in Wales — particularly in North Wales, where the larger constituencies and proportional voting system may lead to more varied representation than under the previous model.

For now though, attention turns from polling stations to count centres, with Wales set to spend Friday watching one of the most important and transformative elections in the country’s modern political history unfold.

Bayside will have updates throughout Friday with a special hour long programme with political pundits Taffy and Kai on the outcome for North Wales and the country in general.

Listen live from 6pm on DAB Digital Radio, Smart Speaker or online. The episode is also available on catch up later on Friday evening.