Here’s a map that will make your brain ache. Potters Bar is not in London. It’s in Hertfordshire. But it has a London postcode (EN6). So people assume they can vote for the Mayor. They can’t. They’re like a kid pressing their nose against the candy shop window.
Same goes for Staines-upon-Thames (yes, that’s its real name, and yes, it sounds like a medieval plumbing accident). It’s in Surrey. No vote. Watford? No. Epsom? No. Dartford? It’s in Kent, so no. But Dartford is literally across the river from London. You could throw a metaphorical stone at Boris Johnson’s house from there, but you can’t vote for his replacement.
The boundary is the M25, but even that’s a liar. Parts of Greater London lie outside the M25 (like Biggin Hill), and parts inside the M25 are not in London (like Ewell). It’s like the map was drawn by a drunken octopus having a seizure.
Who Can Actually Vote? The Final Cheat Sheet
Right, let’s sum this up so you don’t embarrass yourself at the polling station. You can vote for Mayor of London if you:
Map reveals London mayor election vote as Sadiq Khan takes third win
1. Live in any of the 32 London boroughs (Camden, Hackney, Hounslow, etc.).
2. Live in the City of London (and are not a sandwich).
3. Are a British, Irish, EU, or Commonwealth citizen (plus any other nationality if you have “leave to remain”).
4. Are 18 or over on polling day.
You cannot vote if you live in a place that looks like London but isn’t (e.g., Uxbridge? Yes, that’s in London. Pinner? Yes. But Rickmansworth? No, because that’s in “Three Rivers” district, which sounds like a cult, but is actually Hertfordshire).
And here’s the kicker: you only get one vote. You pick your first choice and your second choice (for the “supplementary vote” system). It’s like Tinder, but for politicians. Swipe left for the guy who promises a unicorn-powered bus lane.
So, to recap: if you live inside the magical London bubble but not in a tiny medieval enclave where sandwiches vote, you’re in. If you live in Croydon? You’re in. If you live in Banstead? Sorry, you’re out. Banstead is in Surrey, and its main claim to fame is that it has a really nice golf course. No mayoral vote for you.
Now go check your postcode. If it says “London,” you’re golden. If it says “Surrey,” “Kent,” “Hertfordshire,” or “Essex,” you might as well start caring about who runs the local parish council. The Mayor of London doesn’t care if your recycling bin is one millimetre over the line. But you knew that already.
