How does voting work in the Tory leadership race?

Members will begin receiving ballot packs from Monday and will have more than four weeks to register their votes with CCHQ, writes Ashley Cowburn

If a significant cohort of members delay their votes until later in the contest, Rishi Sunak has a chance to turn things around (AFP/Getty)

As Boris Johnson hosts a long-delayed wedding celebration at the country house of a billionaire Tory donor this weekend, any far-fetched hopes of his name being on the ballot of the party’s leadership contest will evaporate.

Publicising a petition demanding that members have the option to re-elect Mr Johnson as Conservative leader, those supportive of the outgoing prime minister warned that replacing him would amount to “guaranteeing” a Labour victory at the next general election.

But this weekend, party officials will be busy preparing to send out ballot papers to the 160,000-plus fee-paying members who will vote to elect either Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak as his successor.

Between Monday and Friday, qualifying members – those who will have been signed up for more than three months at the close of voting – will receive a ballot pack allowing them to vote by post, or to do so online using security codes provided by Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ).

Members can theoretically begin voting as soon as they receive their ballot packs, meaning that the coming days will be critical for the foreign secretary and the former chancellor in their hopes of becoming the country’s next prime minister.

Ms Truss is currently widely considered to be the frontrunner, is ahead in polls of party members, and has won the sought-after endorsement of defence secretary Ben Wallace – a popular figure among the party faithful – and the eliminated leadership candidate Tom Tugendhat.

But members will have until 2 September at 5pm to ensure that their ballots are logged with CCHQ. The winner will be decided on the basis of one member, one vote: the candidate with the most supporters is elected the next Tory leader.

If a significant proportion of the fee-paying members delay logging their votes until later in the contest, after hustings have concluded, Mr Sunak still has a number of weeks to win momentum and turn the contest around.

As reported by The Independent last week, a new-style voting system allows members to vote twice – both online and via the postal form – with only the latter of the two votes received by the party being counted. It means that members will technically have the option to revise their vote if they desire to do so.

MP Mark Harper – a prominent Sunak backer – said last week that the “second thoughts” voters could have a decisive impact. “It creates a level playing field,” he said. “It means members get a better chance to see both of the candidates in action and make their minds up.”

After all of the ballots are counted, CCHQ will announce the results of the contest on 5 September at a special party event, and it is expected that Mr Johnson will head to Buckingham Palace to formally tender his resignation the following day – making way for the new prime minister to take office on 6 September.