Guidance for Candidates and Agents at Greater London Authority elections

After the results are declared, election documents are securely held by the relevant Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) for a period of 12 months.1

Most documents are available for public inspection. Please note that ballot papers are not open to public inspection.

Inspection and supply of the marked registers and lists of absent voters2

The marked electoral registers and lists of absent voters show who has been issued with a ballot paper, who has returned their postal ballot paper, and who has had a proxy vote cast on their behalf.

You can inspect or obtain copies of the marked register of electors and lists of absent voters after the election if you make a request in writing to the relevant ERO. Contact details are available on our website.

If you stood as a Constituency Assembly Member candidate, you can inspect or obtain copies of the marked registers and lists of absent voters across the constituency. 

You can have access to the marked registers and list of absent voters across the whole of London if you:

• stood in the Mayoral election
• were an individual candidate not standing on behalf of a political party at the London-wide Assembly Member election
• were a candidate on a party list at the London-wide Assembly Member election who has been elected.

Note that you can only use the information obtained from these documents for research or electoral purposes.

The request for inspection must specify:3

• which documents are requested
• the purposes for which the information in any document will be used
• where the request is to inspect the marked register or lists, any reason why inspecting the full register or unmarked lists would not be sufficient to achieve that purpose
• who will inspect the documents
• the date on which you wish to inspect the documents
• whether you would prefer to inspect the documents in a printed or data form
• Inspection is under supervision and will be free of charge. You won’t be able to take copies but may make handwritten notes. 

The request for supply must specify:4

• which of the marked register or lists (or the relevant part of the register or lists) are requested
• whether a printed copy of the records or lists is requested or a copy in data form
• the purposes for which the marked register or lists will be used and why the supply or purchase of a copy of the full register or unmarked lists would not be sufficient to achieve that purpose

The requested document will be supplied for a fee of £10 plus £2 for printed and £1 for data versions per 1,000 entries.5

Note that after 12 months these documents, held by the ERO will be destroyed unless a court order directs otherwise.6

Under current data protection legislation, personal data processed for any purpose shall not be kept for longer than is necessary for that purpose. If you request and are supplied with any of the information listed above, once the purpose for collecting this data has passed, you need to consider if there is a reason for you to retain that data. If there is not you should ensure secure destruction of any data held.

Nomination papers cannot be inspected after the election. They can only be inspected from 24 hours after the close of nominations until the day before the poll.7

Inspection of other election documents8  

You can inspect other election documents, but you will not be allowed to make any notes or take copies of these documents. The only documents that cannot be inspected are:9

• the ballot papers
• the corresponding number lists
• the certificates allowing polling station staff to vote at the polling station they are working at 
• the Ballot Paper Refusal List (information from this list can only be disclosed to the relevant elector or proxy on request following their refusal)10

After 12 months all of the election documents that are held by the ERO will be destroyed, unless a court order directs otherwise.11

Inspection of election spending returns12

The spending returns and declarations are held by the:

• Greater London Returning Officer for the Mayor of London and London-wide Assembly member elections 
• The relevant Constituency Returning Officer for the Constituency Assembly Member election

Spending returns and declarations can be inspected by any person after they have been submitted. Copies can also be made for a fee of 20p per side.13

Spending returns and declarations are kept for two years. You can request to have them returned to you or your agent at the end of this period. If you or your agent does not want them back, the spending returns and declarations will be destroyed.