Combined Authority and Combined County Authority Returning Officer guidance for Combined Authority Mayoral elections

You must produce a booklet with the election addresses of all candidates who have submitted a valid election address to you by the close of nominations (i.e. by 4pm on the nineteenth working day before the poll).1 The order of the addresses in the booklet must be decided by you by drawing lots.2

Lots must be drawn as soon as reasonably practicable after the close of nominations.3

Candidate payment towards printing cost

You may require candidates to contribute to the costs of printing of the booklet.4 The amount of the payment that you require is to be decided by you and you should be clear how that payment is to be made. The amount must be:

• reasonable
• the same for each candidate
• based on a contribution made by candidates towards the expenses incurred in printing the booklet (and not include any amount relating to the postage or delivery of the booklet)5  

You must decline to include any candidate’s election address where the payment has not been made as you require.6

Your statement

You may include in the booklet, along with the candidate’s election addresses, your own statement.7

Your statement may include:

• an explanation of the purpose of the booklet 8
• an alphabetical list of all candidates at the election (whether or not they are in the booklet)9
• the date of the election and the deadlines for registration and absent voting applications10  
• any other information relating to the election that you determine11  

You must include a statement stating that it is published by you and giving your name and address and that of your printer.12

Reviewing the proof

You must notify every election agent of a candidate who has provided an election address and, where you have accepted it for inclusion in the booklet, of the time and place where they may check the election addresses in the booklet and submit typographical corrections to the proof of the booklet before it is printed.13

You may, if any candidate or their agent does not review the proof, make your own correction of typographical errors in an election address if you think it is appropriate.14 You should, however, attempt to contact the candidate or agent to clarify your corrections.

Delivery of the booklet

You must print the booklet and place each copy in an envelope.15 You must then deliver one copy to each elector on the electoral register who is eligible to vote at the election.16 The postage or delivery costs must be paid by the combined authority (either directly or by reclaim/invoice).17

Return of candidate payment for printing cost

You should keep a record of the costs of printing the booklet separately from all other costs. If the payments made by the candidates exceed the total cost of printing, the balance must be divided equally between the candidates who submitted payment (whether or not the candidate’s election address was included in the final booklet) and returned to them.18

Candidates who withdraw before the deadline for withdrawals must have all of the payment they have made returned to them and should not be included in the booklet.19 With the exception of equally returning any overpayment as above, there is no provision to return the payment for any other reason where an election address is not included in the booklet.