# The Combined Authorities (Mayoral Elections) Order 2017, Paragraph 56: The calculation of total votes


(1) The returning officer must add the number of second preference votes given for a candidate to the number of first preference votes given for that candidate, to give that candidate’s total number of votes.
(2) The returning officer must then draw up a provisional statement showing—
(a) the total number of first preference votes given for each candidate,
(b) the total number of second preference votes given for each of the candidates remaining in the contest after the count of the first preference votes,
(c) the total number of votes given for each of those candidates, and
(d) the number of ballot papers that were—
(i) valid as respects a first preference vote given for a candidate who did not remain in the contest after the count of the first preference votes, and
(ii) rejected for the purposes of the count of second preference votes on the ground that they were unmarked or void for uncertainty as to the second preference vote.
(3) As soon as practicable after completion of the statement, the returning officer must—
(a) provide such of the election agents for those candidates who remain in the contest as are then present with a copy of the statement, and shall give them a reasonable opportunity to satisfy themselves as to the accuracy of the calculation,
(b) as soon as practicable inform the combined authority returning officer of its contents.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2017/9780111151815/schedule/3/paragraph/56 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/draft-combined-authorities-mayoral-elections-order-2017/schedule-3/paragraph-56
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.