You must give the candidates and agents sufficient time to digest the local total before proceeding to the next stage of the process.1
It is at this point that candidates and particular agents (i.e. election agents and those counting agents marked as being able to request a recount on their appointment) may request to have the votes recounted or, following a recount, recounted again.2
The GLRO has given a direction that they are consulted on any requests for recounts before you can exercise your power to grant or refuse a request.
You must consider any recount request but by law may refuse if, in your opinion, the request is unreasonable.3
You may, however, consider offering the candidates and agents the opportunity to inspect the bundles of the ballot papers as a means of reassuring them that the local total is accurate.
If you agree to recount the local total,4
you should inform the candidates and agents present at the count before the recount commences and briefed on the processes you are going to follow. As with the original count, any recount should be carried out in full view of those present. You are entitled to reconsider which ballot papers should be rejected during the recount (or any further recount).5
You must consult on the revised local total in the same way as they were consulted at the conclusion of the original count.
It is possible to have more than one recount. Again, it is for you to consider any request, and you may refuse if in your opinion the request is unreasonable.6
A recount request can only be made before the constituency result or the local total is announced.
London-wide Assembly Member and London Mayoral elections
You should explain to the candidates and agents that the totals for the London-wide Assembly Member and the London Mayoral election will be transmitted to the GLRO for inclusion in the calculation of the result for the relevant electoral area.