Mayor of London and London Assembly elections: Your questions answered

On Thursday 2 May, voters across London will go to the polls for the Mayor of London and London Assembly Elections. To help residents understand the elections and make sure everyone is ready for polling day, our elections team have answered some frequently asked questions about the upcoming elections.
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What are the elections for?

 On 2 May, voters across London will elect the Mayor of London and 25 London Assembly members.

The London Assembly is made up of 11 assembly members who are elected by voters across London, and 14 constituency assembly members who are elected by voters in each of London’s 14 constituencies. Haringey is part of the Enfield and Haringey constituency.  The Assembly’s role is to hold the Mayor to account to make sure that decision and actions are in the public interest.

You can only vote for one choice on your Mayor of London ballot paper. This means the candidate with the most votes is elected. The Mayor of London ballot paper is pink.

You have two votes for the Assembly: one vote on the yellow ballot paper for the Enfield and Haringey Constituency Member election and one vote on the orange ballot paper for the 11 London-wide Members of the London Assembly.

Can I vote?

To vote in the upcoming elections, you need to be over 18 years of age and to have registered to vote before the deadline on 16 April.

If you missed the deadline to register then unfortunately you would not be able to vote in this election, but why not register today to make sure you can vote in the next one? There will be a general election sometime before January 2025, so make sure you’re ready to vote.

To register you need to be aged 16 or older, a resident of Haringey, and have British, EU, Irish or qualifying Commonwealth citizenship. Once you have registered to vote, you will only need to register again if you move address, or if you change your name or nationality. You can register to vote online.  Alternatively, you can download and print a paper form from GOV.UK, or request a paper application form to be sent to you in the post.

Where do I vote?

 If you are registered to vote in person, you will need to go to your designated polling station to vote. If you are voting as a proxy for someone else, you will need to go to their polling station. You can find your polling station on your polling card, or by visiting our website.

All polling places are open from 7am to 10pm on Thursday 2 May.

Do I need ID to vote at the polling station?

Yes – you will need to show photo ID at polling stations to vote. Accepted forms of ID include passports, driver’s licences, or Oyster 60+ cards. You can see the full list of accepted IDs on the Electoral Commission’s website

You can use expired ID as long as the photo on it still looks like you.

What if I don’t have an accepted form of photo ID?

 If you don’t have an accepted form of photo ID, don’t worry – you can still cast your vote – but you will need to apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate to take with you to the polling station instead.

The deadline to apply is 24 April.

I’ve lost my poll card – can I still vote?

Yes. If you are eligible to vote and register to vote before the deadline, you will receive a poll card before the election with details on where to go to vote on election day. However, you do not need your poll card in order to vote. So long as you are registered to vote, simply go to your polling station, show an accepted form of photo ID and one of the polling station staff will give you your ballot papers.

What if I can’t make it to the polling station on polling day?

We offer different ways to vote to ensure that any eligible voter can have their say in elections. This includes the option to vote by post or by proxy.

To vote by post, you must get an application to us by 5pm on 17 April. You can apply online, or you can fill in a paper application form.

Your ballot papers will be sent to you around 10 days before polling day. Complete your ballot papers and the postal voting statement and return them using the pre-paid envelope provided. We need to receive this by 10pm on election day.

Proxy voting is when you nominate somebody to vote on your behalf. The person you appoint (your proxy) will have to go to your polling station to vote for you. You will need to tell them who you want to vote for. To vote by proxy, apply online or return your application form to us by 5pm on 24 April.

Find out more about postal and proxy voting.

I haven’t received/I have lost my postal vote – can I go and vote in person at a polling station?

No, once you have been issued with a postal vote, you cannot vote in person. However, as long as you contact us before 5pm on election day, we will be able to issue you with a replacement postal voting pack. Please call or email us as soon as possible to ensure there is sufficient time to get a new pack to you and for you to return this to us.

When will the count take place 

The verification and count will take place on Friday 3 and Saturday 4 May 2024. You can find more information about the count on the London Elects website.

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