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

The law sets out the result collation process that must be followed. The key steps can be summarised as follows:

Collating the verification figures

• Each local RO must verify the ballot paper accounts for their area and draw up a statement as to the result of the verification.1
• Each local RO must inform the CARO/CCARO of the contents of their verification statement.2
• You should collate all the verification figures for the combined authority area to produce a total number of the ballot papers going forward to the count for the whole combined authority area.
• Where the votes are to be counted at a different place to where the verification took place you can direct local ROs to carry out further specified verification procedures in relation to the ballot papers and documents relating to the combined authority mayoral election.3

Collating the count totals

• Each local RO must count votes given for each candidate.4 Once counting is complete, the local RO must share the provisional figures with the candidates and agents present, as it is at this stage that candidates, election agents and those counting agents who have been specifically authorised to do so may request a recount.5
• Once the candidates and agents have had the opportunity to request a re-count (and any recount has been completed), the local RO must draw up a statement of local totals including the number of votes cast for each candidate and the total number of rejected ballot papers, and a statement of rejected ballot papers categorised by reason for rejection.6
• Each local RO must, as soon as practicable, inform you of the contents of the statement of local totals.7
• Once you have been informed of the contents of the statement, you can direct the local RO to recount the votes.8
• Before the local RO can give public notice of the local totals, they must have received authorisation from you.
• You must collate all the local totals for the combined authority area received from local ROs.
• You must share the figures with the election agents who are present at the collation and must give them a reasonable opportunity to satisfy themselves as to the accuracy of the calculation.9 An election agent may request a re-calculation but you may refuse to do so if in your opinion the request is unreasonable.10
• Once the agents have had the opportunity to check the figures (and any re-calculation has been completed) you must declare the result as follows:
  • The candidate who has the majority of the votes is returned11
  • If more than one candidate has an equal number of votes, you must decide by lots which of them is to be returned12
  • You must declare the result13

Further guidance on the processes you need to follow after the declaration of the result, including giving public notice of the result, is contained in After the election.