The London mayoral election introduces a direct, first-past-the-post system, eliminating second-preference votes and intensifying the contest between Labour’s Sadiq Khan and Conservative Susan Hall. With a low voter turnout and the results expected soon, the new system adds unpredictability to the race’s outcome.
The London mayoral election is seeing an intense and closely contested race between Labour incumbent Sadiq Khan and Conservative challenger Susan Hall. The election, characterized by a direct, first-past-the-post voting system—a shift from the previous supplementary vote system—eliminates the possibility of second-preference votes influencing the outcome. This significant change in the electoral format is set to intensify the battle, as it directly pits the two candidates against each other without transfers from other party candidates.
The current contest unfolds with a relatively low voter turnout of just over 40%, totalling 2,495,621 votes. The election dynamics this year mirror past tightly contested races such as the 2012 mayoral election where Boris Johnson narrowly defeated Ken Livingstone.
Historically, the winning margins in London mayoral elections have varied. Sadiq Khan’s previous victory in 2016 with 44.2% of first preference votes remains one of the highest in mayoral history, while Ken Livingstone’s 2004 win with 37% stands as the lowest by vote share. The re-election of Boris Johnson in 2012, with a winning margin of just 3.7 percentage points, marks the narrowest victory in a London mayoral race.
This year’s race between Khan and Hall is particularly notable due to the absence of second preference votes, adding a layer of unpredictability to the final outcome. As the vote count progresses, the result, anticipated later in the day, will determine London’s leadership for the next four years.
