The next Mayor of London and London Assembly elections are on Thursday 2 May 2024

Nominations

Nominations

The Greater London Returning Officer (GLRO) engages with political parties, candidates and agents on how London Elects will manage the nominations process. 

You can download nomination packs at the end of this page. 

Candidate qualifications for standing in elections

Each candidate must declare that they meet the legal qualifications.

Candidates must be:

  • at least 18 years old on the day of their nomination
  • a citizen of the UK, Republic of Ireland, European Union or Commonwealth
  • registered to vote in London, or have lived, worked, rented or owned property in London for the past 12 months

There are also several disqualifications from standing such as:

  • working for the Greater London Authority, the London Fire Commissioner, the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime, Transport for London, or a Mayoral Development Corporation. Other local authority staff holding a politically restricted post also cannot stand
  • being the subject of a bankruptcy restrictions order or interim order
  • being sentenced to a term of imprisonment of three months or more (including a suspended sentence), without the option of a fine, during the five years before polling day
  • being disqualified under the Representation of the People Act (RPA) 1983 (which covers corrupt or illegal electoral practices and offences relating to donations)
  • being disqualified under the Audit Commission Act 1998

This is only an outline of some of the disqualifications. More information is in the candidate and agent guidance.

Election agents

All candidates must have an election agent – a person who is responsible for the proper management of their campaign. This particularly applies to financial aspects as only the election agent can make payments for election expenses.

If a candidate fails to appoint an agent, they are deemed to be their own agent.

Certain individuals – such as Returning Officers, their staff or someone not entitled to vote due to a conviction under the RPA 1983 – cannot be election agents.

Candidates or their agents can also appoint agents to attend postal vote openings, polling stations and the count.

Standing for election for Mayor of London

Candidates are required to submit the following to the Greater London Returning Officer (GLRO):

  • a completed nomination form 
  • a total of 330 signatures of people on the electoral register in London supporting the nomination, consisting of 10 from each London borough and 10 from the City of London
  • a signed and witnessed consent to nomination form
  • a deposit of £10,000, which is returned, after the election, if you poll more than 5% of the total number of votes polled by all Mayoral candidates in the election. Those candidates who have polled less than, or equal to, 5% of the total number of votes cast will lose their deposit.
  • a certificate from the registered political party’s nominating officer, where the candidate is not an independent
  • a signed request to use a registered political party’s emblem on the ballot paper, if the candidate wishes to use an emblem

Candidates can have an election address manifesto published in the Mayoral address booklet, which is sent to all registered voters in London before polling day.

To do so, the candidate is required to pay £10,000 towards the cost of the booklet. The fee and other requirements are specified in the Greater London Authority Elections (Election Addresses) Order 2003.

Standing for election for the London Assembly

Constituency Assembly Member candidates

Candidates are required to submit the following to the Constituency Returning Officer (CRO):

  • a completed nomination and nomination consent form which must be obtained from the CRO responsible for the constituency where the candidate wants to stand
  • a deposit of £1,000 which is returned if the candidate gets more than five per cent of votes cast in that constituency
  • a certificate of authorisation from the registered political party’s nominating officer (if standing as the candidate for a political party)
  • a signed request to using a registered political party’s emblem on the ballot paper (if doing so)

London-wide Assembly Member candidates

Independent candidates and political parties are required to submit the following to the GLRO:

  • a completed nomination form, listing all the candidates (up to a maximum of 25)
  • a signed and witnessed nomination consent form for each candidate
  • a deposit of £5,000 regardless of how many names are on the form. This is returned if the party or independent candidate receives more than 2.5 per cent of the total votes cast across London in the London-wide Assembly election
  • a request signed by a political party’s nominating officer if the candidate wants to use the party’s emblem on the ballot paper