Guidance for Candidates and Agents at Greater London Authority elections

The election agent is the person responsible for the proper management of your election campaign and, in particular, for its financial management. You must have an election agent.1 If you do not appoint an agent, you will become your own agent by default.2   

Because of the responsibilities attached to the role of an election agent you should consider carefully who you are going to appoint and make sure that they understand their obligations. You can be your own agent if you wish.

You, or someone on your behalf, must declare in writing the name and address of your election agent to the GLRO by 4pm on the 24th working day before the poll.3 The declaration should be signed by you (or the person making the declaration on your behalf) and by the agent to show their acceptance of the appointment. The original signed version must be submitted in person or by post, but may not be submitted by fax, e-mail or other electronic means. 

It is helpful to also provide a contact telephone number and email address for your election agent so that they can be easily contacted by the GLRO or a Constituency Returning Officer.

The GLRO will provide a declaration form you can use. If you do not appoint someone else as your agent by the deadline, you will automatically become your own agent.4

Your agent must have an office address to which any legal notices can be delivered and therefore must be a physical address5 – PO boxes or similar mailboxes cannot be used. 

Your agent's office address must be:6

• within Greater London, or
• within a UK Parliamentary constituency that is within or adjoins Greater London

The agent's office address will often be their home address, but it could be the local party office or an office set up for the election. If the person who will be your agent does not want their home address published they should arrange to have an office address.

If you act as your own election agent, unless you provide an office address, your home address as provided on the home address form will be published on the notice of election agents .7 This is the case even where you have chosen to withhold your home address from the statement of persons nominated and ballot paper.

If that address is outside the permitted area, the office address is deemed to be the address of the first subscriber on your nomination form.8