Polls open across Greater Manchester at 7am on Thursday for the mayoral by-election, the largest by-election ever held in the UK with over two million eligible voters. The election was triggered after Andy Burnham resigned as mayor after nine years to re-enter Parliament via the Makerfield by-election last month, subsequently becoming Prime Minister.
Cost of the by-election
Given the scale of the region and the quick turnaround, the surprise ballot is likely to cost several million pounds. The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) budget report for 2024/25 showed spending on the May 2024 mayoral election was £4.6 million. The current contest is expected to cost slightly more, partly due to a change in voting system.
Supplementary vote system
This week's by-election uses the supplementary vote (SV) system, which was also used in 2017 and 2021 but replaced by first-past-the-post in 2024 under the previous Conservative government. The current Labour Government reinstated SV for mayoral elections earlier this year. Under SV, voters mark first and second choices. If no candidate wins over 50% of first-choice votes, all but the top two are eliminated, and second-choice votes for remaining candidates are added. This could require longer working hours for polling staff, driving up costs.
Polling and results
Polls open at 7am and close at 10pm on Thursday. Votes will be counted on Friday, 31 July, with the result expected in the afternoon.
