Guidance for the GLRO administering the GLA elections

As GLRO you are responsible for the co-ordination of the GLA elections at a London-wide level.

In addition to your legal duties, you are also responsible for providing leadership and co-ordinating the work of the Constituency Returning Officers (CROs), to ensure that the election is well-run and that voters and those standing for election receive a consistently high-quality service across the whole of the police area.

As GLRO you are personally responsible for the following specific aspects of the GLA election:

• giving notice of the election of the Mayor of London and the London-wide Assembly Member election1  
• the nomination procedures for the election of the Mayor of London and the London-wide Assembly Member election2  
• publishing the statement of persons (and parties) nominated for the election of the Mayor of London and the London-wide Assembly Member election3
• giving notice to the relevant CROs if a candidate has been validly nominated in more than one Assembly constituency, as a candidate cannot stand for election in more than one Assembly constituency after the deadline for withdrawals4
• publishing the notice of poll for the election of the Mayor of London and the London-wide Assembly Member election5
• supplying notices for the guidance of voters at polling stations6
• the collation of votes from across Greater London for the election of the Mayor of London and the London-wide Assembly Member election and the declaration of the results7

Issuing directions

You can give directions to CROs about: 

• the discharge of their functions in relation to the GLA elections 
• directions requiring them to provide you with any information which they have, or are entitled to have

CROs are required to comply with any direction you have given to them. You can give directions that apply to all CROs, or only to one or some.8  

If you decide to direct CROs to:9

• include alternative information in the appropriate form of postal voting statement in place of the paragraphs beneath the heading ‘Instructions to the voter’
• issue additional information to those entitled to vote by post 
• include additional information in poll cards
  You must supply the alternative or additional information either electronically or in a printed form along with directions to the CRO as to how the information is to be used by no later than the date of the notice of election.

You must supply the alternative or additional information either electronically or in a printed form along with directions to the CRO as to how the information is to be used by no later than the date of the notice of election.

You should take any decision to issue a direction at an early stage in the process, following consultation with the relevant CROs, in order to provide clarity for all involved and to enable these activities to be planned for and taken forward as appropriate. You should put in place a communications plan for communicating any directions and guidance. 

As part of your considerations you should take into account the number of CROs in the GLA elections and the impact of the directions you issue may have on the activities that CROs will need to undertake. You should ensure the CROs are adequately resourced to be able to deliver them effectively.

Further guidance on the  issuing of directions can be found in our planning section for GLROs.

You should ensure that any deputies appointed have the skills and knowledge required to carry out the functions that they have been assigned. 

You must make any appointment of a deputy in writing and should include details of the functions that the deputy is authorised to exercise on your behalf.10  The deputy’s acceptance should also be given in writing.