Electoral chiefs issue a statement after the Greater Manchester mayoral candidate disappears from the ballot

Electoral officials issued a statement explaining why the list of mayoral candidates changed after the nomination deadline.

On Friday (April 5), the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) – the public body that runs the city hall and its elections – issued a list of agent declarations. It included seven candidates, namely Don Prof Reis Abraham Halliwell PRF, Jake Austin, Dan Barker, Nick Buckley, Andy Burnham, Laura Evans and Hannah Spencer.

However, when the official Statement of Nominees was issued on Monday (April 8), it omitted the first nominee – Don Prof Reis Abraham Halliwell PRF. GMCA chairman, chief executive Eamonn Boylan has now moved to explain why.

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A spokesman for Mr Boylan said Don Prof Reis Abraham Halliwell Prf registered with an electoral agent before the deadline but did not receive enough signatures to get on the ballot within that time frame. This meant that they appeared on the agent list, but not on the nominee list.

“The nomination process for the Greater Manchester Combined Authority mayoral election began on Wednesday 27 March and closed at 4pm on Friday 5 April,” the spokesperson said. “In order to be validly nominated in law, a candidate is required to present, by hand, the appropriate documentation and pay a deposit of £5,000 in accordance with the details provided in the Election Notice.

“Each candidate’s nomination paper must contain 10 valid subscribers from each of the 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester, making a total of 100 subscribers. Shortly before the deadline on Friday, April 5, the candidate known as Don Prof Reis Abraham Halliwell PRF submitted a nomination paper to the staff of the managing director of the combined authority. When a candidate submits a nomination paper in this way, they will be added to the published Agents Statement, regardless of whether the nomination is valid.

“After formal acceptance, but before receipt of the £5,000 deposit, it was confirmed that the nomination paper did not contain the required number of subscribers. Subsequently, the nomination deed was deemed null and void by the deputy director of the combined authority on the ground that it was not subscribed according to law.”

The Greater Manchester mayoral election takes place on 2 May 2024, with the list of candidates on the ballot paper including Jake Austin (LIB DEM), Dan Barker (REFORM), Nick Buckley (IND), Andy Burnham (LAB), Laura Evans. (CON) and Hannah Spencer (GREEN).

Voters must be registered in the 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester – Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford and Wigan – and be aged 18 or over on polling day to cast their vote .

You can register to vote online here or access a form to register by post here. The deadline to register to vote is 11:59 pm on April 16.

Residents will need photo ID to vote, with a list of accepted forms here. If you don’t have any of the accepted forms of ID, you can apply online for a free electoral authority certificate here until 5pm on 24 April.