How to vote for next Labour leader and when the deadline to register is

Five contenders vying to replace Jeremy Corbyn remain in the race after MPs' nominations close

Five contenders vying to replace Jeremy Corbyn have now entered the second phase of the Labour leadership contest and on Tuesday – for 48 hours – those wishing to have a say can register as supporter.

The result will be hugely significant for progressive, pro-European politics in the UK and thousands signed up in both 2015 and 2016 when the Labour Party held its previous contests.

Labour runs the contest under a One Person One Vote (OPOV) system, meaning every vote matters. Here’s how to register and specific deadlines.

Registered supporters

Applications for registered supporters – costing £25 – open at 5pm on 14 January, and the window remains open for just two days. Those wishing to do so must be on the electoral register and be able to pay the fee online. A sign up page will become available on Labour's official website once applications open.

Normal “qualification criteria” of membership of the party applies to registered supporters, so any person who has supported another political organisation in the last two years, or stood against an official Labour candidate will be ineligible to vote.

Affiliated supporters

These individuals are typically members of a trade union or socialist society that is affiliated to the Labour Party and will be eligible to vote in the contest. A list of all the affiliated trade unions and societies can be found here. They too must adhere by the Labour rulebook.

Labour members

The freeze date for registering as a member of the Labour Party – and gaining a crucial vote in the leadership contest – is 20 January. The fee for membership costs £4.38 per month.

What happens next?

All those eligible to vote will receive an online ballot by email and those without a verified email address in Labour’s system will receive a ballot by post – consisting of candidates’ statements and lists of any nominations.

After the second round of the contest – nominations from Constituency Labour Parties (CLPs) – has concluded, the ballot for electing the next leader will then open on 21 February.

The last date for postal ballot and email ballot reissues will be on 27 and 30 March respectively, before it closes on 2 April.

A special conference unveiling Mr Corbyn’s successor as Labour leader will then be held on Saturday 4 April.