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May elections 2024 - Local, Salford City Mayor and Greater Manchester  Combined Authority Mayor elections

Banner - make sure you have your say, Thursday 2 May 2024 in the mayoral and local elections

Three elections in Salford on Thursday 2 May 2024:

Thursday 2 May 2024

Salford residents can shape the city’s future by choosing who represents them and their community by voting in all three elections - Salford City Mayor, Greater Manchester Combined Authority Mayor and local councillors. To have your say, make sure you are registered to vote.

Read on for further guidance for voters and when known, all candidates standing in each election and other election notices will be found in downloadable documents at the bottom of the page.

Local councillor elections

This year, a third of councillors will be up for election - 20 seats – one from each of Salford’s 20 wards. Voters can choose one candidate in the election of a councillor for their own ward.

Councillors are elected to represent their local area and residents. They contribute to the development of local policies in areas such as social care, housing, planning, highways, and education.

The mayoral elections

Voters also get to choose who they want to be Salford City Mayor and who they want to be the Greater Manchester (GM) Combined Authority Mayor.

In late April, all Salford voters will receive a mayoral address booklet with a full list of candidates for Salford City Mayor and their election address. Similarly, all voters across Greater Manchester (GM) will receive a mayoral address booklet with candidates for the GMCA Mayor. These booklets must be sent to all voters by law. Lots are drawn by Salford’s Returning Officer Tom Stannard to determine the order in which each candidate’s election address appears in the booklet which can be seen on video.

  • Salford City Mayor

Salford’s City Mayor is Salford’s political, strategic and community leader and has overall responsibility for the delivery of all Salford City Council’s services.

There are four candidates standing for the position of Salford City Mayor. In alphabetical order, these are Jillian Collinson (Conservative Party), Paul Dennett (Labour Party), Sally Griffiths (Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition) and David Jones (Green Party).

  • Greater Manchester Combined Authority Mayor

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority Mayor for is a major figure in the political life of the city-region, with unique powers and responsibilities – more details on the GM Elects website.

There are six candidates standing for the position of Greater Manchester Combined Authority Mayor. In alphabetical order, these are Jake Austin (Liberal Democrats), Dan Barker (Reform UK), Nick Buckley (Independent), Andy Burnham (Labour and Co-operative), Laura Evans (The Conservative Party Candidate) and Hannah Kathrine Spencer (Green Party).

Casting your vote

Whether you vote by post or in person this May you’ll have three ballot papers listing all candidates. When choosing one candidate in each election (City Mayor of Salford, Greater Manchester Combined Authority Mayor and Councillors for Salford City Council) mark the box carefully with an X so it’s clear who you’re voting for.

Unlike previous mayoral elections which involved first and second choice candidates (the supplementary vote system) these elections are now first past the post (FPTP) voting, like local government and parliamentary elections. The FPTP system for mayoral elections was brought in as part of the Electoral Reform Act 2022 which also brought in voter ID.

Voter ID

You must now show an acceptable form of photo ID to vote in a polling station. If you don’t have one, apply online by Wednesday 24 April for a free Voter Authority Certification (VAC). If you need help or support, pop into your local gateway centre where staff will assist you. Find out more on our voter ID webpage.

Polling stations

The location of your polling station is shown on your poll card and it will be open from 7am to 10pm on Thursday 2 May. You can also look it up via your postcode.

Postal vote

Whether you’ll be away, busy at work or want to vote from home, get a postal vote to make sure you have your say. It’s easy to apply for a postal vote online or download a form (Adobe PDF format) from our postal voting webpage. The deadline to apply for a postal vote for the forthcoming May elections is Wednesday 17 April 2024.

Please follow the instructions sent with your postal pack ensuring that you provide your signature and date of birth on the security statement that you return with your ballot papers. Find out more about postal voting in this short video.

If you forget to send your postal vote back in time, you can hand deliver it to any polling station in Salford before 10pm on polling day.

Proxy Vote

If you’re unable to vote on the day you can apply for a proxy vote, to appoint someone trusted to vote on your behalf. For urgent help, please call customer services on 0161 793 2500. The deadline to apply for a proxy vote for the forthcoming May elections is Wednesday 24 April.

Your vote is yours alone

Your vote doesn’t belong to anyone who intimidates you, pretends to be you, tries to bribe you, or enter the polling booth with you. It’s your vote and yours alone.

If someone tries to take your vote, or the vote of anyone you know, contact Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555 111 or visit the Crimestoppers website.

The results

The count for the mayoral elections is on Saturday 4 May and for local councillors on Sunday 5 May. The results for both elections will be published in the evenings on both days on the results page of our website and shared on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).

Notice of elections

Banner - Salford City Mayor, Greater Manchester Combined Authority Mayoral Election and Councillors for Salford City Council

Elections and voting

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