Here’s a doozy: The London Assembly—the mayor’s scrutineers—are also elected every four years, but on the same day. So you vote twice in one go, like a political version of a two-for-one pizza deal. And unlike the mayor, assembly members serve fixed four-year terms with no chance of delay. They are the calendar’s greatest victims.
Also, the deputy mayor doesn’t automatically take over if the mayor resigns. Nope. That’s a temporary gig until a by-election. It’s the only job in London where your boss’s vacation means you get to chair meetings about traffic, but not order new office chairs.
So, To Summarize from Your Café Seat
London Mayoral elections happen every four years, on a floating Thursday in early May, unless some bureaucratic ghoul moves the date. It’s a system designed to be boringly predictable, yet it manages to feel like a surprise party every time. You’ll forget it’s even happening until you trip over a campaign sign outside Pret.
In the end, the answer is simple: every four years, plus or minus a few weeks, plus or minus a global pandemic. If you’re ever confused, just assume the election is next year. You’ll be right 75% of the time, and the other 25% you’ll just have to suffer through another round of “Get Out the Vote” texts from a robot named Brenda.
And hey—if you miss this one? Don’t worry. It’ll come around again in four years. Like a very slow, very democratic Groundhog Day. Just remember to bring a coat, a pen, and a strong sense of irony.
