Report: How the 2012 GLA elections were run

This report focuses on the administration of the London Mayoral and London Assembly elections held on 3 May 2012. It reflects the experience of
voters, based on public opinion research and electoral data provided by Returning Officers. It also reflects feedback and views about the administration of the election from candidates and agents, those responsible for delivering the poll and other participants.

On 3 May 2012, elections were held for the Mayor of London and 25 London Assembly members.

The poll was combined with local by-elections to elect councillors in wards in 10 London boroughs.

The electorate at these elections was 5.8 million and the turnout, including votes rejected at the count, was 38.8%1 . This was a decrease of 6.5 percentage points from the 2008 elections, when turnout was 45.3%.

2.21 million valid votes were cast at the elections. 1.8% of ballot papers were rejected at the count, which was 0.1 percentage points higher than in
2008.

14.1% of the electorate was issued with postal ballot papers for these elections. This is 2.4 percentage points higher than in 2008. Turnout amongst
postal voters was 68.8%.

4.6% of returned postal ballot papers were rejected and not included in the count, which was a decrease of 0.2 percentage points from those rejected in 2008.

A key priority for us is that voters are able to vote easily and know that their vote will be counted in the way they intended.

Voters continue to have high levels of satisfaction with the voting process. Both polling station and postal voters remain positive about their experience. Voters also understood how to complete their ballot papers for the London elections.

Nearly all (95%) said that they found it easy to fill in the ballot, with three quarters (76%) finding it very easy and just 3% reporting difficulties.

Full details of our research findings are contained in this report. 

We want to ensure that people are aware of the need to register to vote in order to take part in the elections. We undertook an advertising campaign for the Greater London Assembly (GLA) elections to promote voter registration. The activity focussed on raising public awareness of the need to register in order to vote, how to register to vote and the deadline for doing so.

Awareness of the elections was high in London, with nearly three-quarters (73%) of respondents in London saying they knew ‘a great deal’ or ‘a fair
amount’ about the elections. Over-three quarters (76%) of people surveyed agreed that they had enough information to make an informed decision on how to vote in the London elections. Those who voted in London were more likely to say they had enough information about the elections to make an informed decision, than those who did not vote (86% compared with 63% respectively).