Guidance for Returning Officers administering a Greater London Authority (GLA) election

After the close of nominations you must publish a statement of persons nominated and a notice of poll.1   

For details on what these notices should contain and steps you should take when proofing, see our guidance on publishing the statement of persons nominated and publishing the notice of poll.

As you will now know which candidates are standing in your area, it is important to revisit you project plan, risk register and plans for the management of polling stations and count. You should check whether they are still suitable or if any amendments are needed to ensure that processes run smoothly, safely and efficiently. 

Factors to consider could include the number of candidates standing, the level of experience that the candidates and the political parties represented have of standing for election and their knowledge of electoral processes, as well as any local risks or issues that could require specific management at polling stations or the count.

Where you have made arrangements to do so, you should forward the email and phone contact details of candidates standing in the election to the Force Elected-Official Adviser (FEOA). You should ensure that candidates are aware of how their information will be used and provide them with the opportunity to opt out if necessary. For more information, see our guidance on working with your local police force.

Nomination in more than one constituency

A candidate may not stand for election in more than one constituency. A candidate who is validly nominated for more than one constituency must withdraw their candidature in all but one of those constituencies.2 If they do not, they will be deemed to have withdrawn their candidature from all the constituencies.

If having reviewed the statements of persons nominated provided by you and the other CROs, it appears to the GLRO that a candidate appears to have been validly nominated in more than one constituency, the GLRO must, at least one hour before the deadline for the publication of the statement of persons nominated, inform the CRO for each of the constituencies affected that the candidate in question is deemed to have withdrawn.3

In this case, the CRO must, as soon as practicable after receiving this notification, inform the candidate that their candidature is deemed to have been withdrawn in that constituency.4

London Elects will inform you of the arrangements for sharing your statement of persons nominated with the GLRO.

There is no restriction, other than that set out above, on a candidate standing in more than one GLA election.

If, however, a candidate stands for election as the Mayor of London and as a constituency Assembly Member and is elected as both, they will be returned as the Mayor of London but not as a constituency Assembly Member. If a candidate is elected either as the Mayor of London or as a constituency Assembly Member, they will not be returned as a London-wide Assembly Member. The candidate has no choice in these circumstances about which office to accept should they be elected to both.

Uncontested elections

The election is uncontested if either: 

• only one valid nomination is received 
• all valid nominations are properly withdrawn by the deadline except one 

If the constituency election is uncontested, you must as soon as practicable, declare the one validly nominated candidate elected.5  

You must give their name to the GLRO and the Proper Officer of the GLA, and give public notice of the name of the elected person and their authorised description (if any).6