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

As CARO/CCARO, you and the project team will agree the approach to be taken in respect of the timing of the verification and the count. Where polls are combined, you will need to liaise with the relevant local RO in the area and make decisions as early as possible in the process. 

As prescribed in legislation, at a combined authority mayoral election that is not combined with another poll, local ROs must begin verifying the ballot paper accounts and counting the votes as soon as practicable after the close of poll. 1 You should agree a time when local ROs should start the verification process.

Where the polls are combined, the verification will be carried out by the relevant RO as soon as practicable after the close of poll and the local RO must start the count as soon as practicable after the delivery of the ballot papers to them, ensuring any additional verification of votes received is duly completed. 

As CARO/CCARO, you will need to consider the timing of the verification, count and result calculation across the whole of the combined authority area, and how you will ensure local ROs are able to deliver to these timings. 

The overarching principle that should underpin any Returning Officers’ decision-making in relation to the timing of election counts is the need to ensure an accurate result in which voters and candidates have confidence. 

As CARO you should consider this principle carefully in deciding when, where and how the votes in each area will be verified and counted. You need to ensure that you are confident that both your and local ROs’ processes are managed and resourced in a way that enables counting to produce a timely outcome. 

Your decision as to the timing of the verification and count should reflect the following:

• Each combined authority mayoral election is a single poll producing one result for the combined authority area as a whole. Each local authority area’s total counts towards a result for the combined authority area as a whole and it will therefore be important to identify a defined period of time during which all the votes will be counted and totals announced for each area.
• The result of the election must be accurate. Underpinning the approach to the timing of the verification and count is the need to ensure an accurate result in which voters and candidates can have confidence. This means that the period of time specified for the verification and count to take place must be such that local ROs can resource and conduct a well-run verification and count process within it.
• The potential for, and extent of, combined polls in the combined authority area. Where polls are combined, whether in some or all local authority areas, you will need to take this into account in identifying the options for timing of the verification and counting of the votes for the combined authority mayoral election. You should:
  • obtain information from local ROs about the other polls taking place and plans for verification and counting at the other polls, and use this information to inform your planning assumptions 
  • make clear when you communicate the plans for when to verify and count the votes what factors related to combination you have taken into account in making them, and any particular implications of your decisions for areas with combined polls
  • ensure that you provide candidates and agents at the combined authority election with information for all areas, highlighting where combination exists and has had an impact on the decision, including where this has resulted in different arrangements being in place 
  • keep your plans under review to deal with any emerging situations, such as by-elections being called for the same day as the combined authority mayoral election poll.