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Elections: London Votes

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On Thursday 2 May Londoners will head to the polls to elect a mayor and 25 London Assembly members.

It's a chance for the 6.2 million registered voters to have their say on who will be in charge of running the capital for the next four years.

The current Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is seeking re-election for a third term and is running against 12 other candidates including Susan Hall for the Conservative Party, Rob Blackie for the Liberal Democrats and Zoe Garbett for the Green Party.

Here is what you need to know about the election, the candidates and how you can participate in it. 

Can I vote in the election? 

The mayor represents the 8.9 million people living all across London.

You are eligible to vote if you meet all of the below criteria. 

  • You live in the capital 

  • You are over the age of 18 on the day of the election

  • Are a British, European Union (EU) or Commonwealth citizen who does not require leave to remain in the UK.

In order to vote, you must be registered.

How do I vote in the election?

Firstly you need to be registered to vote - you are not automatically included on the electoral register.

Anyone over the age of 16 can register to vote online here.

You will need to register again if you have changed your name, address or nationality. 

The deadline to register to vote is Tuesday 16 April.

Once you are registered you have a few options on how to vote - you can vote in person at a polling station on 2 May, by post or by proxy.

If you wish to submit a postal vote you must do so by 17:00 BST on 17 April. 

proxy vote, which means someone else can vote on your behalf, must be applied for by 17:00 on 24 April. 

You can request a proxy vote for reasons such as being away on polling day or being registered as an overseas voter. The proxy must be someone you trust to vote on your behalf and you will need to tell them which candidate you want to vote for. 

They can still cast their own vote as well.

Everyone will need to show photo ID at polling stations before they vote.

There are 22 acceptable forms of ID, including passports, driving licences and Oyster 60+ cards.

You can use out-of-date photo ID as long as you look the same.

If you do not have any ID, you can apply for a free document known as a Voter Authority Certificate

What photo ID do you need to vote in local elections?

What does the ballot paper look like?

On election day you cast three votes - one for the London mayor and two for the London Assembly.

You can vote for two members of the London Assembly, one to represent your constituency and one for London as a whole.

The voting system for mayor has changed this year. 

Previously you would list a first and second preference candidate, but in this election, first-past-the-post system will be used, meaning you can only vote for one candidate and whoever has the most votes will win.

The voting system for the London Assembly remains the same.

If you have registered to vote, you will receive a booklet in the post in April which includes election statements from mayoral candidates who wish to submit one. 

Polls will be open between 07:00 BST and 22:00.

Who are the candidates running for London mayor? 

The candidates who are standing, listed in alphabetical order, are:

  • Femy Amin, Animal Welfare Party - People, Animals, Environment

  • Count Binface, Count Binface for Mayor of London

  • Rob Blackie, Liberal Democrat

  • Natalie Denise Campbell, Independent

  • Howard Cox, ReformUK - London Deserves Better

  • Amy Gallagher, Social Democratic Party

  • Zoë Garbett, Green Party

  • Tarun Ghulati, Independent

  • Susan Mary Hall, Conservative Party

  • Sadiq Khan, Labour Party

  • Andreas Christoffi Michli, Independent

  • Brian Benedict Rose, London Real Party - Transform London

  • Nick Scanlon, Britain First - No To Immigration

You can find out more about the candidates 13 candidates make the cut

What does the London mayor do?

With a budget of billions, the mayor has an important role in making London a better place for everyone who visits, lives or works in the city.

The mayor has a number of key areas of responsibility.

The first is transport. They are responsible for Transport for London (TfL) and have the power to set fares, which is where TfL gets the majority of its funding.

They also have some powers over London roads - the congestion charge and the Ultra Low Emission Zones both came from the mayor's office.

The mayor has some control over policing. They set out how London is policed and staffed as well as appointing the Met Police commissioner and holding them to account. Around 30% of the Met's budget comes from the mayor, the rest comes from national government.

When it comes to housing, the mayor can set affordable homes targets and work on them with local authorities and developers. They receive funding from central government to build affordable homes.

The mayor has very few direct powers over the economy, but they do support businesses in the capital and have control over strategic planning which means they can approve projects that will impact London.

Another area of responsibility is supporting London's culture and creative industries. They mayor runs the London Borough of Culture scheme and employs a night czar who supports the capital's nightlife.

What does the London Assembly do?

The London Assembly is composed of 25 members - 14 represent constituencies, and the other 11 are elected by a party-list system.

It is easy to think of them as a pool of London experts, many of them have worked their way up in local politics or run businesses and charities.

Their main power lies in approving or rejecting the mayor's £20.4bn budget plans.

They also work on committees which scrutinise the mayor's policies and check if they are working. The committees operate in a similar way to the system in the parliament.

The London Assembly can also hold the mayor to account during Mayor's Question Time sessions which are held 10 times a year. The mayor and their officials must answer the questions put to them by assembly members.

When will we find out who will be the next London mayor?

The verification of ballot papers from the contests will take place on Friday 3 May, and the votes counted on Saturday 4 May.

The results will be announced at City Hall on Saturday 4 May.

The new London mayor and Assembly members take office on the second day after the results are declared and will have a term of four years.

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