Voters ready for first mayor poll

Manchester Town Hall

OLDHAMERS will be among almost two million electors going to the polls tomorrow to elect the first ever Mayor of Greater Manchester.

More than 1,400 polling stations in Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford and Wigan will be open from 7am until 10pm for people to cast their vote.

Eight candidates are vying for the votes.

The count for all 10 Greater Manchester local authority areas, and the declaration of the winning candidate, will take place at Manchester Central Convention Complex on Friday.

This election uses the Supplementary Voting System, which gives electors the opportunity to cast their vote for their first and second choice candidates.

If one candidate gets more than 50 per cent of the first choice votes, they will become the Mayor of Greater Manchester.

If no candidate gets this majority, there will be a second count in which the two candidates with the most first choice votes remain in the running and all other candidates are eliminated.

The second choice votes of people who voted for eliminated candidates will then be counted and any second choice votes for the two remaining candidates added to their first choice totals.

The candidate who has the highest overall total will then be declared the mayor.

Residents can find the location of their polling station on their poll card but if they do not know it they can check with the election office based at their local council. You do not need to have your poll card with you to be able to vote but it does save time if you do.

Significant

Anyone who has requested a postal vote but left it too late to post their ballot pack back can still drop it off at any polling station in their local council area, or their local elections office, on the day.

Combined Authority returning officer Eamonn Boylan said: "This is an historic election to choose someone who will be a significant political figure in Greater Manchester.

"We want to make sure that no one who wants to participate misses out."

For more information about the mayoral elections and mayoral role visit www.gmelects.org.uk.