The CROs are responsible for the verification of the ballot paper accounts and the counting of the votes for all three elections in their constituency.
On completion of the verification procedure, CROs must, as per agreed process in the protocol, inform you of the contents of the verification statements i.e. total number of ballot papers counted.
There are two broad options for organising the count processes for the GLA election:
Individual local counts and the central collation by the GLRO: This option would see the verification and counting of the votes take place in local count venues, with the local totals forwarded to you at a central hub. In this case, you would need to ensure that the process in place for the transmission and receipt of totals from each CRO to the central hub is capable of establishing a clear audit trail, is timely, and supports the development of an accurate result.
Central GLA count: There are two main variations of a centralised count: a count where votes are verified locally before being transferred to a central counting venue, where all of the votes for the Greater London area would then be counted; or a count where votes for all constituencies are both verified and counted in one central counting venue.
There are, however, variations within these two options and the potential for other ways of organising counts for the GLA election. For example, across the Greater London area some constituencies could count locally, while others come together and hold counts on a more centralised basis.
You should liaise closely with the CROs in your area when deciding on the approach. Whichever option is chosen, there will be risks and benefits associated with it. You will need to identify these when you develop your proposals for consultation and, once a decision has been made, work with CROs to plan how you will manage and mitigate the risks.