English: We've heard many arguments, but I think we need to take ourselves back. Sixteen and 17-year-olds were allowed to vote in the 2021 Senedd elections for the first time, and this year, of course, it will be the first time that they'll be able to vote in local government elections. If you look at the figures, out of 65,000 16 to 17-year-olds who were eligible to vote in the 2021 Senedd elections, just under half of those registered to vote, and that is hugely disappointing. Of course, we've got to remind ourselves that we are still, and were then, in the middle of a global pandemic, and that would of course have had an impact on the number of young people who registered and subsequently voted. Additionally, there were restrictions, understandably, that made it harder to engage with young people. So, I think it's essential that we do everything that we can to encourage young people to get involved and to vote in this particular election, the first one in which they have an opportunity to do so. I think it's also important that we get our messages very clear that it is their future that they are voting on, and their voice is just as important as their parents' or their grandparents'. It has already been said here today that local government manages multi-million pound budgets, and all of that affects young people directly. It's important that they have a say on how those budgets and those issues are prioritised at a local level, and, first and foremost, they can contribute to that by having their say in the ballot box. I'm going to look at the reasons why people don't vote. So, Nottingham Trent University's 'Making Votes-at-16 Work in Wales' report was written following the 2021 Senedd elections, and suggested a number of recommendations to increase the participation of young people, both in local government and Senedd elections. And one of those was to remove the practical barriers to voting that are specific to newly enfranchised voters, and make it easier for those young people to vote. For example, they said, to trial automatic voter registration, the avoidance of scheduling elections in exam periods, and by locating voting or polling stations in schools or colleges. So, I'm keen to know if the Welsh Government have given any attention to those particular recommendations. But I think it's important to mention the UK Government Elections Bill 2021-22 as well, because we're talking about enfranchising people, not disenfranchising them. And if that Bill goes ahead, they are going to ensure that people have to have photo ID in order to vote, and it's going to 'help stamp out voter fraud'. Well, I think that's a little bit disproportionate, given that out of 58 million people who cast their votes - 58 million - there were only 33 allegations of impersonation at polling stations in 2019. If you talk about a hammer to crack a nut, I cannot think of a better example. So, that Bill won't apply, of course, in the local government or Senedd elections, but it will apply to Wales at the next general election. So, we are talking here today about enfranchising people. We need to look at what is disenfranchising them, and I do agree that we need to look at the voting system. I won't be supporting it today because I want further - [ Interruption.] Well, I want further discussion around it, but I do want to make it clear that I'm open to those further discussions, and it isn't always the case that one system will perhaps produce a different outcome. And it is true that certain people feel completely disenfranchised from standing, and women are somewhat absent, as are young people, in local government. And we need to look at the reasons for that. I, as you will know, was a Pembrokeshire county councillor, and I was the only female for the first two terms - that's nine years - in Preseli Pembrokeshire. And I remember knocking the door and I remember a woman saying to me, 'I was waiting for the man to come round', to which I said, 'Well, you've got me.' [ Laughter.] And I got in with a close-run election. So, let's change the debate.
Welsh: Rydym wedi clywed llawer o ddadleuon, ond credaf fod angen inni fynd yn ôl. Cafodd pobl ifanc 16 ac 17 oed bleidleisio yn etholiadau'r Senedd yn 2021 am y tro cyntaf, ac eleni, wrth gwrs, fydd y tro cyntaf y byddant yn gallu pleidleisio mewn etholiadau llywodraeth leol. Os edrychwch ar y ffigurau, o'r 65,000 o bobl ifanc 16 i 17 oed a oedd yn gymwys i bleidleisio yn etholiadau'r Senedd yn 2021, ychydig llai na'u hanner a gofrestrodd i bleidleisio, ac mae hynny'n hynod siomedig. Wrth gwrs, mae'n rhaid inni atgoffa ein hunain ein bod yn dal i fod, a'n bod bryd hynny, ynghanol pandemig byd-eang, a byddai hynny, wrth gwrs, wedi cael effaith ar nifer y bobl ifanc a gofrestrodd ac a bleidleisiodd wedi hynny. Yn ogystal, roedd cyfyngiadau ar waith a'i gwnaeth yn anos, yn ddealladwy, i ymgysylltu â phobl ifanc. Felly, credaf ei bod yn hanfodol ein bod yn gwneud popeth a allwn i annog pobl ifanc i gymryd rhan ac i bleidleisio yn yr etholiad penodol hwn, yr un cyntaf y mae ganddynt gyfle i i wneud hynny. Credaf ei bod hefyd yn bwysig fod ein negeseuon yn glir iawn eu bod yn pleidleisio ar eu dyfodol eu hunain, a bod eu llais yr un mor bwysig â llais eu rhieni neu eu neiniau a'u teidiau. Dywedwyd yma heddiw eisoes fod llywodraeth leol yn rheoli cyllidebau gwerth miliynau o bunnoedd, ac mae hynny oll yn effeithio ar bobl ifanc yn uniongyrchol. Mae'n bwysig eu bod yn cael dweud eu barn ar sut y caiff y cyllidebau hynny a'r materion hynny eu blaenoriaethu ar lefel leol, ac yn anad dim, eu bod yn gallu cyfrannu at hynny drwy fynegi barn yn y blwch pleidleisio. Rwyf am drafod y rhesymau pam nad yw pobl yn pleidleisio. Felly, yn dilyn etholiadau'r Senedd yn 2021, ysgrifennwyd adroddiad Prifysgol Nottingham Trent, 'Making Votes-at-16 Work in Wales', ac roedd yn awgrymu nifer o argymhellion i gynyddu cyfranogiad pobl ifanc, mewn etholiadau llywodraeth leol ac etholiadau'r Senedd. Ac un ohonynt oedd cael gwared ar y rhwystrau ymarferol i bleidleisio sy'n benodol i bleidleiswyr sydd newydd gael y bleidlais, a'i gwneud yn haws i'r bobl ifanc hynny bleidleisio. Er enghraifft, meddent, treialu cofrestru pleidleiswyr yn awtomatig, osgoi trefnu etholiadau yn ystod cyfnodau arholiadau, a lleoli gorsafoedd pleidleisio mewn ysgolion neu golegau. Felly, rwy'n awyddus i wybod a yw Llywodraeth Cymru wedi rhoi sylw i'r argymhellion penodol hynny. Ond credaf ei bod yn bwysig crybwyll Bil Etholiadau Llywodraeth y DU 2021-22 hefyd, gan ein bod yn sôn am etholfreinio pobl, nid eu difreinio. Ac os yw'r Bil hwnnw'n llwyddo, byddant yn sicrhau bod yn rhaid i bobl gael cerdyn adnabod â llun er mwyn pleidleisio, ac mae'n mynd i 'helpu i gael gwared ar dwyll pleidleiswyr'. Wel, credaf fod hynny ychydig yn anghymesur o ystyried, o'r 58 miliwn o bobl a bleidleisiodd - 58 miliwn - mai dim ond 33 o honiadau o bersonadu mewn gorsafoedd pleidleisio a gafwyd yn 2019. Ni allaf feddwl am enghraifft well o ddefnyddio morthwyl i dorri cneuen. Felly, ni fydd y Bil hwnnw'n berthnasol, wrth gwrs, yn yr etholiadau llywodraeth leol neu etholiadau'r Senedd, ond bydd yn berthnasol i Gymru yn yr etholiad cyffredinol nesaf. Felly, rydym yn sôn yma heddiw am etholfreinio pobl. Mae angen inni edrych ar beth sy'n eu difreinio, ac rwy'n cytuno bod angen inni edrych ar y system bleidleisio. Ni fyddaf yn cefnogi'r cynnig heddiw gan fy mod am gael - [ Torri ar draws.] Wel, rwyf am gael trafodaeth bellach yn ei gylch, ond hoffwn ddweud yn glir fy mod yn agored i'r trafodaethau pellach hynny, ac nid yw bob amser yn wir y bydd un system yn cynhyrchu canlyniad gwahanol. Ac mae'n wir fod rhai pobl yn teimlo eu bod wedi'u difreinio'n llwyr rhag sefyll, ac mae menywod yn brin, fel y mae pobl ifanc, mewn llywodraeth leol. Ac mae angen inni edrych ar y rhesymau am hynny. Fel y gwyddoch, roeddwn yn gynghorydd yn sir Benfro, a fi oedd yr unig fenyw am y ddau dymor cyntaf - naw mlynedd - ym Mhreseli Sir Benfro. Ac rwy'n cofio curo ar y drws a dynes yn dweud wrthyf, 'Roeddwn yn aros i'r dyn alw', a dywedais wrthi, 'Wel, fi sydd gennych chi.' [ Chwerthin.] A chefais lwyddiant mewn etholiad agos. Felly, gadewch inni newid y ddadl.