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

As CARO/CCARO you are responsible for authorising local ROs to give public notice of the statements of local totals of number of votes cast and ballot papers rejected.1 Checking and authorising these totals is a key stage in ensuring that the result is accurate and that there is a clear and unambiguous audit trail. You therefore need to have in place a thorough and robust checking process to be able to satisfy yourself that the local totals are accurate and that information and figures are recorded and transmitted accurately by local ROs, and recorded and collated accurately by you and your staff.

Calculating an accurate result relies on accurate verification and count figures, and you will need to consider specifically what steps you will take to ensure that the local totals you receive from local ROs are accurate before you authorise the publication of the local statement.

In particular, you should consider how to ensure that the following are recorded and transmitted consistently and accurately:

• the total number of ballot papers going forward to the count, ensuring that this figure includes all ballot papers from polling stations and postal vote openings 
• the total number of votes cast for each candidate: 
  • where there are only two candidates, the total number of votes
  • where there are three or more candidates, the total number of first preference votes and, if second preference votes are counted, the total number of second preference votes 
• the total number of rejected votes and the numbers recorded in each category for rejection
• the total number of votes counted or first/second preference votes, as appropriate: 
  • where there are only two candidates - the total number of votes plus the total number of rejected votes should equal the total number of ballot papers that have gone forward to the count
  • where there are three or more candidates - the total number of first preference votes plus the total number of rejected votes should equal the total number of ballot papers that have gone forward to the count

Where a second count is required, the number of the ballot papers on which a first preference vote was given to those candidates who did not remain in the contest should equal the sum of: 

• the total number of ballot papers containing a valid second preference vote for a candidate remaining in the contest
• the total number of ballot papers containing a second preference vote for a candidate not remaining in the contest and
• the rejected ballot papers at the second count

If there is any variance in these figures, you should require the local RO to take whatever steps you think are necessary and appropriate to try to resolve the variance, and to be able to explain any remaining variance to you.

At each stage, before you formally accept any figures, they should be checked with the local RO who has provided them, including checking for any transcription errors.

Recounts

Candidates, election agents and those counting agents who have been specifically authorised to request a recount may request that the local RO recounts the votes at the conclusion of the counting of votes. 

Any protocol you have produced for how local ROs should communicate with you during the verification and count processes should include details of what they should do in the case of a request for a recount: for example, you may want to ask local ROs to inform you of all requests they receive for a recount or you could ask to be consulted where they are considering refusing a recount request.

If you have any reason to doubt the accuracy of the counting of the votes in any constituent council area you may direct the local RO to re-count the votes.2 Once you are satisfied with the local totals you may authorise them to give public notice of the statement of local totals.3