London Mayor and Assembly elections

The Greater London Authority (GLA) is made up of one directly elected mayor and 25 London Assembly members, supported by staff at City Hall. Londoners voted for this unique form of government in a 1998 referendum and the GLA was established in 2000.

On Thursday 2 May 2024, Londoners will vote for the Mayor of London and the 25 members that make up the London Assembly. These elections are held every four years – though the elections due to be held in May 2020 were postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic and took place in 2021.  

The Mayor of London has several functions, including:

• Making plans, strategies and policies for Londoners
• Acting as the executive of London’s government and managing a £20.4bn budget to run transport, police, fire services and investing in London’s housing. Part of the council tax levied by London’s councils is set by the mayor to help fund these services
• Acting as a representative for the capital at home and abroad

While London boroughs retain responsibility for delivering many services on the ground, the role of mayor offers strategic and London-wide leadership for the capital. The Mayor of London is responsible for developing strategies for London covering:

• Transport
• Policing
• Housing
• Planning & development (the London Plan)
• Culture  
• Economic development  
• Health inequalities
• Environmental issues

The mayor sets the budgets for and appoints board members to: Transport for London, the London Fire Brigade and the two Mayoral Development Corporations (London Legacy Development Corporation and Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation). The mayor also directs the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime. These five organisations are the GLA’s functional bodies and together form the GLA Group.

The mayor has other responsibilities which include managing Trafalgar Square and Parliament Square Garden and deciding which major building projects can go ahead across London.  

The mayor works closely with partners to fund and commission a wide range of projects. 

The mayor is the Greater London Authority’s executive, and the Assembly’s primary role is to hold the mayor to account. Assembly members scrutinise the work of the mayor and carry out investigations into issues of importance for Londoners.

The Assembly is made up of 25 individuals. The 14 constituency assembly members are elected by voters in each of London’s 14 constituencies. The 11 London-wide assembly members are elected by voters across the whole of London.  

The Assembly has the power to:

• put questions to the mayor and his officials during Mayor’s Question Time and full London Assembly meetings
• examine and scrutinise the mayor’s progress against his plans  
• investigate issues that are important to Londoners, publish reports and make recommendations to the mayor, London Boroughs and the Government
• amend the mayor’s budget with a two-thirds majority of members
• reject statutory mayoral strategies, again with a two-thirds majority
• hold confirmation hearings for certain mayoral appointments 

Anyone who wants to become a mayoral or London Assembly member candidate must be:

• at least 18 years old; and
• a British or qualifying Commonwealth citizen, or a citizen of a European Union country

They must also meet at least one of the following four qualifications:  

• Be, and continue to be, registered as a local government elector in Greater London from the day of their nomination onwards  
• Occupy as owner or tenant any land or other premises in Greater London during the whole of the 12 months before the day of their nomination and the day of election
• Have Greater London as a main or only place of work during the 12 months prior to the day of their nomination and the day of election
• Have lived in Greater London during the whole of the 12 months before the day of their nomination and the day of election 

The rules around standing for election and the disqualifications that apply are complex. Further information can be found in guidance. For example, the following list of people cannot stand as a candidate:
•    Anyone employed by the Greater London Authority, the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime, The London Fire Commissioner (including the London Fire Brigade) and every staff member in a politically restricted post at Transport for London and a Mayoral Development Corporation 
•    Local government staff who hold politically restricted posts 
•    Anyone in a public post that the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has designated as a post disqualifying persons from standing
•    A person currently subject to a bankruptcy restrictions order or interim order, though bankruptcy itself is not a disqualification
•    A person who in the last five years has been convicted of an offence and sentenced to more than three months in prison without the option of a fine
•    A paid officer of a London borough council, who is employed under the direction of council committees or joint committees of which the Mayor of London is a member
•    Anyone disqualified from being a member of a local authority under the Audit Commission Act 1998
•    Anyone guilty of certain offences relating to improper conduct at elections, as set out in the Representation of the People Act 1983
 

The earliest that someone can officially become a candidate is on the day that nominations open. Nominations will open on Tuesday 19 March 2024. Prospective candidates may announce that they intend to stand before this, but this is the first date that someone can submit a formal nomination. 

Anyone who wants to stand as a constituency member candidate must submit nomination papers to the relevant constituency returning officer by 4pm, Wednesday 27 March 2024.

Anyone who wants to stand as a mayoral or London-wide member candidate must submit nomination papers to the Greater London Returning Officer by 4pm, Wednesday 27 March 2024.

For mayor

Prospective mayoral candidates must submit the following to the Greater London Returning Officer by 4pm, Wednesday 27 March 2024. 
•    A completed nomination form. 
•    A home address form.
•    Their consent to nomination.
•    The signatures of 330 registered voters (at least 10 from each borough and at least 10 from the City of London) supporting the nomination.
•    A deposit of £10,000, returnable if they receive more than 5% of the total number of votes polled by all mayoral candidates in the election.
•    If they are standing for a registered political party, a certificate from that political party. They can also request to use one of the party’s registered emblems on the ballot paper.
 

Constituency candidate

Prospective constituency member candidates must submit the following to the constituency returning officer for the constituency in which they wish to stand by 4pm, Wednesday 27 March 2024.
•    A completed nomination form. 
•    A home address form. 
•    Their consent to nomination.
•    A deposit of £1,000, returnable if they receive more than 5% of the valid votes cast in their constituency.
•    If they are standing for a registered political party, a certificate from that political party. They can also request to use one of the party’s registered emblems on the ballot paper.
 

London-wide candidates

London-wide candidates can stand either as independents, or as party candidates on a ‘party list’. 

Prospective independent candidates and political parties must submit the following to the Greater London Returning Officer by 4pm, Wednesday 27 March 2024.
•    A completed nomination form. Political parties that want to put forward a list of up to 25 candidates must submit a party list nomination form. Independent candidates must submit an independent candidate nomination form. 
•    A consent to nomination for each candidate regardless of whether they are on a party list or an independent candidate.
•    A home address form for each candidate.
•    A deposit of £5,000 for an independent and a deposit of £5,000 from each party, regardless of how many names are on their list of candidates. This is returnable if the party or candidate receives more than 2.5% of the valid votes cast across London.
•    Registered political parties must provide a certificate authorising use of the party name or a registered description. This must be signed by the party’s nominating officer or by a person authorised to act on their behalf.
 

The deadline for prospective candidates to submit nomination papers is 4pm, Wednesday 27 March. The relevant returning officer will publish a statement of persons (and parties) nominated no later than 4pm on Tuesday 2 April 2024. London Elects will publish a list of all validly nominated candidates on its website.

As at all elections, it is illegal to make a false statement about the personal character of a candidate in order to influence the result of the election. Rules about defamation also apply to election materials.

The police may investigate allegations of the specific electoral offence of making a false statement. Defamation issues are a matter for the civil courts.

The Electoral Commission does not have any regulatory role in relation to the content of campaign material or what candidates say about each other, though we encourage all campaigners to undertake their vital role responsibly and to support campaigning transparency.

By law, candidates, parties and non-party campaigners must use ‘imprints’ on all their printed campaign material. An imprint includes the name and address of the printer and promoter (the person who authorised the material to be printed). It must be included on all printed material such as posters, placards and leaflets. This is so that voters can be clear about the source of the campaign material. It is an offence not to include an imprint on printed election material.

Campaigners are now also required to include an imprint on digital material, if it meets certain tests. A digital imprint must include the name and address of the promoter and any person on behalf of whom the material is published. 

Candidates at these elections are entitled to receive a copy of the electoral register and lists of people voting by post or proxy once they officially become a candidate. 

Constituency candidates for the London Assembly are entitled to copies covering the constituency they are standing in, while mayoral and individual candidates at the London-wide Assembly elections are entitled to copies for the whole of the Greater London Authority area. 

Registered political parties are entitled to obtain and use the electoral register and absent voters lists at any time for electoral purposes and, in the case of the register, for the checking of donations. The register in force as published on 1 March will be used for nomination purposes. 

Candidates, election agents and parties can use the information on the registers and lists to help them campaign, complete their nomination form (in the case of a candidate at the election of the Mayor of London) and check that donations are permissible. 

No, however the GLRO will produce a booklet containing the “election address” of candidates who wish to be included. The address is a campaign statement that a mayoral candidate makes to the electorate to persuade electors to vote for them. The booklet is delivered to all registered voters in the Greater London area before polling day.  

Candidates wishing to be included must pay a fee of £10,000, which goes towards meeting the printing and distribution costs.   

The UK government has announced its intention to increase the spending limits for the 2024 Greater London Authority elections. The legislation has not been finalised, but we believe, the spending limits will be:

Candidate spending includes, among other things, the costs of:

• advertising of any kind, such as posters, newspaper adverts, websites or social media
• unsolicited material sent to voters, such as letters, leaflets or emails that are not sent in response to specific queries

The Commission provides guidance to candidates and agents. Further information on what activities count towards the spending limit can be found in our guidance.

Spending before the regulated period will not count towards a candidate’s spending limit, providing they do not make use of that spending during the regulated period. For example, if they purchase leaflets before the regulated period but use them during the regulated period this spending is reportable and will count towards their spending limit.   

It is likely that campaigning at the Greater London Authority elections in May 2024 will be covered by a party regulated period for a general election. The party regulated period is 365 days ending on polling day. 

Any spending a party incurs which promotes the party or any of its candidates in the party regulated period counts towards its spending limits and must be reported after the election, unless that spending was reported in a candidate return (including a GLA party list return) or a recall petition return. This includes spending promoting the party in any elections during the party regulated period.
 

Anyone can make a donation worth less than £50 to candidates. Candidates are not required to declare donations with a value of £50 or less in their spending and donations return. 

There are no limits on the number of donations a candidate can accept. Candidates must ensure that any donation worth more than £50 is only accepted if it is from a permissible source. This applies to cash donations and donations in kind. 

Candidates cannot accept donations over £50 unless they are permissible.

London Assembly constituency candidates, or their agents, must submit their returns of election expenses (meaning their spending) to the constituency returning officer within 35 calendar days of the declaration of the result.

Mayor of London and London-wide Assembly member candidates, or their agents, must submit their campaign spending returns to the Greater London Returning Officer within 70 calendar days of the declaration of the result.

If no spending is incurred, a nil return must be submitted by the agent.

Exceeding the spending limit can be a criminal offence. Allegations relating to the Representation of the People Act (RPA) 1983, including candidate spending offences, are a matter for the relevant local police force to consider. 

Whilst the Electoral Commission has a statutory duty to monitor compliance with parts of the RPA relating to candidate and agent expenses, it is not legally empowered to investigate and impose sanctions for offences under the RPA.
 

It is likely that campaigning at the Greater London Authority elections in May 2024 will be covered by a party regulated period for a general election. The party regulated period is 365 days ending on polling day.

Any spending a party incurs which promotes the party or any of its candidates in the party regulated period counts towards its spending limits and must be reported after the election, unless that spending was reported in candidate return (including a GLA party list return) or a recall petition return. This includes spending promoting the party in any elections during the party regulated period.
 

Many political parties run a local ‘fighting fund’ for their candidate. If the fund is managed and controlled by the party and not the candidate, then donations to the fund are usually treated as having been made to the party, unless the donations are specially made towards the candidate’s campaign. 

However, during the regulated period, any donations above £50 made by the party to a candidate, including donations in kind, must be reported in the candidate’s spending return.

To search donations made to political parties, visit the Electoral Commission’s online database.

Political parties will often spend money at elections, promoting the party in general as well as particular candidates. 

It is likely that campaigning at the Greater London Authority elections in May 2024 will be covered by a party regulated period for a general election. If this is the case, spending promoting the party in any elections during the party regulated period will count towards the party’s spending limits at the general election, unless that spending was reported in candidate return (including a GLA party list return) or a recall petition return.

Further information on the spending limits for parties can be found in our guidance.

Non-party campaigners are individuals or organisations that campaign in elections but are not standing as political parties or candidates. 

There are separate rules for local campaigns, which is campaigning for or against a particular candidate, and general campaigns which we call campaigning for or against: 

• one or more political parties

• parties or candidates that support or do not support particular policies

• other categories of candidate.

Local campaigns

Local non-party campaigners can spend up to £50 + 0.5p for each elector in the electoral area contested by the candidate they are campaigning for or against. This limit applies once the person they are campaigning for or against is officially a candidate. They cannot spend more than these amounts without an election agent’s authorisation in writing. 

Any authorised spending above their spending limit will count against the candidate’s spending limit. Any authorised spending must be reported by the local non-party campaigner to the returning officer within 21 days of the result being declared and must also be included in the candidate’s return.

General campaigns

Spending on general campaigns is only regulated in the run-up to certain elections, including a general election. It is likely that general campaigning at the Greater London Authority elections in May 2024 will be covered by the regulated period and the UKPGE spending limits. 

For information on non-party campaigning at GLA elections, see the Commission’s guidance.

Political parties must report donations and loans over £11,180 if accepted by their central office and over £2,230 if accepted by a local accounting unit.

Political parties have to submit their quarterly donation and borrowing returns to the Electoral Commission 30 days after the end of a quarter.
 

A person can vote in the Mayor of London and London Assembly elections if they are registered to vote and are:

• resident in London, 
• aged 18 or over on polling day 
• a British citizen 
• an Irish, EU or qualifying Commonwealth citizen

More information on eligibility can be found on our website at www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter.

The deadline to apply to register is midnight, Tuesday 16 April 2024. 

Voters can register online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. People can still apply by completing a paper registration form if they prefer. They can contact their local electoral registration office for forms or download them on the UK Government’s website. 

The deadline to apply for a postal vote is 5pm, Wednesday 17 April 2024.

The deadline to apply for a proxy vote, except in an emergency, is 5pm, Wednesday 24 April 2024. The deadline to apply for a proxy vote as a result of an emergency is 5pm, Thursday 2 May 2024.

Postal and some types of proxy applications can now be done online. 

These will be the first London elections where people will be required to bring photo ID to vote in person in a polling station, following new requirements introduced by the Elections Act. A new form of free ID, the Voter Authority Certificate, is available for those who do not have another type of accepted ID.

If voters lose their existing form of ID, or if it stolen or damaged and the deadline to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate has passed, people will be able to appoint an emergency proxy to vote on their behalf up until 5pm on polling day.

Voters who are registered to vote anonymously but wish to vote in person must have an Anonymous Elector's Document in order to vote.

Accepted forms of ID at polling stations include a UK, European Economic Area (EEA) or Commonwealth passport; a UK or EEA drivers’ licence; and some concessionary travel passes, such as an older person’s bus pass or an Oyster 60+ card. The full list is available here. Voters will be able to use expired ID if they are still recognisable from the photo.

Those that do not have an accepted form can apply for a free voter ID.

Anyone without an accepted form of ID can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate online, or by requesting a paper form from their local council.

Anyone who needs to apply for free ID to vote in the May 2024 elections, must apply by 5pm on Wednesday 24 April 2024.

Londoners can choose to vote in one of three ways in the Mayoral and London Assembly elections: in person, by post or by proxy.

In person

•    Registered voters can visit their local polling station between 7am and 10pm on polling day to cast their votes. They will need to show an accepted form of ID. 
•    Voters can only vote at their allocated polling station as stated on this card.

By post

If voters do not wish to - or are unable to - go to a polling station, they may apply for a postal vote. 
•    Voters must remember to complete the postal vote statement in their ballot pack with their signature and date of birth.
•    Voters should complete their ballot papers and send them back straight away, so that they arrive before 10pm on Thursday 2 May 2024. Votes arriving after 10pm on will not be counted. 
•    If voters don’t leave enough time to post their vote, they may take it by hand to a polling station in their constituency from 7am to 10pm on polling day. 

By proxy

Voters can also register for a proxy vote. This means asking someone they trust to vote on their behalf. They need to complete and sign a form and return it to their local electoral registration office by 5pm Wednesday 24 April. Voters can also apply for a proxy vote as a result of an emergency occurring after 5pm on Wednesday 24 April, this can be done up until 5pm on polling day.
 

The Commission provides guidance to polling station staff, to help them make sure that polling stations are accessible to everyone.

Changes introduced in the Elections Act permit disabled voters to choose anyone who is over 18 to accompany them in the polling station to help them vote. The Act also changes the assistance available at polling stations.

The Commission consulted charities and electoral administrators, before updating our accessibility guidance for administrators, to make sure that disabled voters can access the service they are entitled to in polling stations. Our guidance aims to support Returning Officers to understand and identify the barriers to voting faced by disabled voters. It sets out the equipment that should be made available as a minimum at the polling station, and what other equipment or support may also be helpful to provide. This should include measures such as a tactile voting device, polling booth at wheelchair level, magnifiers and pencil grips. Returning officers must have regard to this guidance.

In the 2024 elections London voters will have three votes. One is for the Mayor of London and two are for the London Assembly. 

Voters will be given three ballot papers. Closer to the election London Elects will have example ballot papers on their website, so that voters know what they look like before they vote.

Mayor of London
•    This is the PINK coloured ballot paper.
•    This is for the candidate voters would like to be the Mayor of London.
•    Voters can cast one vote for a candidate.
•    Voters should mark one cross (X) in the box next to the candidate they wish to vote for.

London Assembly Constituency Member
•    This is the YELLOW coloured ballot paper.
•    This is for the candidate voters would like to represent their local area on the London Assembly.
•    Voters can cast one vote for a candidate.
•    Voters should mark one cross (X) in the box next to the candidate they wish to vote for.

London-wide Assembly Member
•    This is the ORANGE coloured ballot paper
•    This is for the party or independent candidate that voters would like to become a London-wide Assembly Member
•    Voters should mark one cross (X) in the box next to the party or candidate they wish to vote for
 

The Mayor of London is elected by first-past-the-post

This means that the candidate with the most votes is elected as the Mayor of London. 

The 14 Constituency Assembly Members are elected using first-past-the-post 

This means that the candidate in each constituency with the most votes is elected as a London Assembly Constituency Member.

The 11 London-wide Assembly Members are elected using a form of proportional representation 

Votes from across London for the London-wide Assembly Members are added together. The 11 seats are then allocated based upon a mathematical formula – the Modified d’Hondt Formula. This takes into account the total votes cast in the London-wide ballot together with the number of constituency Assembly member seats that each political party has already won. 

Eleven rounds of calculations take place to fill the 11 vacant Assembly member seats, and the party or independent candidate with the highest result at each round is allocated the seat. Seats won by parties are allocated to party candidates in the order they appear on the relevant party’s list of candidates.

For further information on the voting systems used in the Mayor of London and London Assembly elections, visit the London Elects website. 

After the polls have closed, elections staff will take ballot boxes from all the polling stations in London to the relevant count centre. All ballot boxes have tamper proof security seals, and will be stored securely until the counting begins. 

The count will start at 9am on Friday 3 May and 9am on Saturday 4 May. The counts will take place for the following constituencies:

The count is overseen by the GLRO. For more information about the count, please contact London Elects.

Constituency Returning Officers will count the votes from the 14 constituencies at nine count centres across London. 

The Greater London Returning Officer will be at City Hall. No physical counting of ballot papers will take place at City Hall, but this is where the GLRO will collate results coming in from around London to give a mayoral result, and to work out the allocation of London-wide Assembly member seats. 

All votes are counted manually. 

The 14 constituency returning officers (CROs) across London are responsible for counting all the votes cast in their constituency. 

The Greater London Returning Officer (GLRO) is responsible for collating the votes from across London for the Mayor of London and 11 London-wide Assembly Members. 

The relevant CRO will share the provisional results for the constituency Assembly member election with the candidates and their election agents. They will then announce the final result for the constituency Assembly member and the local totals of the Mayor of London and London-wide Assembly member elections at the count centre.

The CRO will then send the number of votes cast in their constituency for the Mayoral candidates and London-wide Assembly seats to City Hall. At City Hall, the Greater London Returning Officer will collate all these results to give the final totals for all of London. 

The GLRO will share the provisional results with the candidates and their election agents. The GLRO will then declare the result for the Mayor of London in London’s Living Room at City Hall. 

A live stream of declarations and announcements from each count centre will be available via the London Elects website, or as soon as possible after they are available.

London Elects will hold media briefings in March and April 2024 These will provide background information on all aspects of the elections, and information on the London Elects public awareness campaign. Please contact the London Elects Media team if you wish to know more, at [email protected].

Yes. Members of the media can normally attend, provided they have applied for accreditation. 

No one will be able to enter any of these buildings on count day unless they are accredited.  Members of the media who attend will be provided with information about the process as well as a copy of the secrecy requirements and must respect the confidentiality of the ballot. At all times, all attendees must follow the directions of the CRO at the count centres and the directions of the GLRO at City Hall.

It is at the discretion of the CRO and GLRO to allow entry to any members of the press unless they are also a candidate, agent, counting agent or accredited observer.

Anyone wishing to attend the count centres or City Hall must first apply for accreditation. Visit the London Elects website to apply for accreditation.

The CROs will announce constituency results and local totals for the mayoral and London-wide Assembly member elections in the relevant count centre. The GLRO will announce the final mayoral and London-wide results at City Hall. London Elects and CRO staff will give media advance warning when a result is due. Only candidates and their agents will be told the results shortly before they are announced publicly.

No. Filming and interviews are not allowed inside polling stations. If members of the media wish to film or conduct interviews outside the polling station, they must ensure that voters are not hindered or harassed on their way to vote and that the entrance to the polling station is not obstructed.

Media accreditation applications will be via the London Elects website. Applications must be received by Friday 19 April 2024. All accreditations are subject to security checks and approval of the GLRO. Anyone wishing to film or record audio in the count venues should contact the London Elects Media team.
 

Mary Harpley is the Greater London Returning Officer (GLRO). The GLRO has overall responsibility for the election of the Mayor of London and the London Assembly. 

The GLRO manages the nominations process for mayoral and London-wide assembly member candidates. She also announces the London-wide assembly member and Mayor of London results, after totals for the 14 local constituency counts are complete. She works closely with, and has the power to direct the actions of, the constituency returning officers where this is desirable to achieve consistency across London and best practice in running the elections.

To arrange an interview with the GLRO, or for more information on the role, please contact the London Elects Media office.
 

The 14 London Assembly constituencies are each made up of two to four London Boroughs. The 14 constituency returning officers (CROs) are responsible for conducting the poll and the count for their own constituency. They will announce the results for the Constituency Assembly Member election at the relevant count centre and the local totals of the votes cast in their area for the London-wide member and mayoral elections. 

CROs are supported by borough returning officers (BROs) who, though having no particular status in law, play an important role in organising arrangements at the borough level.

Details of the constituency returning officers can be found on the London Elects website. To arrange an interview with one of the constituency returning officers, please contact the relevant borough’s press office directly.

Electoral registration officers are responsible for maintaining the register of electors and absent voters’ lists for their local authority area. In London, the electoral registration officer is normally a senior officer of the local authority and may also be the borough returning officer. You can find the contact details for all electoral registration officers on the Commission website.

London Elects is the programme team that organises the Mayor of London and the London Assembly elections. This includes everything from designing and printing the ballot papers and managing the counting of votes, to delivering a public awareness campaign to tell Londoners about the election and how to vote.

The London Elects Programme Team is drawn from staff across the GLA, leading on finance, marketing and web, media, legislation and guidance, training, venue management of the count centres, and managing the e-counting contractor.

Although part of the Greater London Authority (GLA), London Elects is politically impartial and operationally independent. It works directly for the Greater London Returning Officer and has a separate budget and reporting lines from other GLA staff.