Guidance for Candidates and Agents at Combined Authority Mayoral elections

An election address is a campaign statement that a mayoral candidate makes to persuade voters to vote for them.1  Once validly nominated, a candidate is entitled to include an election address in a booklet produced by the CARO, which is sent to all registered electors in the combined authority area.2

While the CARO will pay the postage cost,3 if you want your election address to be included in the booklet, you will have to pay a share of the production costs. Each candidate included in the booklet will be asked to contribute the same amount.4 You should contact the CARO to find out about the costs. If the contributions received exceed the costs incurred, the balance will be split equally among the candidates involved.

The booklet will contain the election addresses of all candidates who want to be included in it and who have contributed to the production cost of the booklet. 

The order of the election addresses in the booklet will be decided by the CARO by drawing lots.5

If you want your election address to be included in the booklet, you must deliver the address to the CARO by the close of nominations, i.e. by no later than 4pm, 19 working days before the poll.6

The address must comply with the CARO's requirements and those set out in the next section. If it does not, it will not be included in the booklet.7  

If you withdraw before the deadline for withdrawals, the production costs will be returned to you.8

The production costs of the booklet must be accounted for in your election spending returns. For more information see our guidance on spending.