Castle Leisure Centre in Bury will be closed all day Thursday, July 30 and Friday, July 31, 2026, as the site counts the votes. READ NEXT: Greater Manchester mayor by-election: What you need to know(Image: Bee Network)The Makerfield by-election was held on June 18 and Andy Burnham won as Labour’s candidate, which made him an MP. At that moment, he was no longer able to serve as mayor of Greater Manchester, so the role became vacant. Figures published by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority in its budget report for 2024/25 show spending on the May 2024 mayoral election was £4.6 million. Polls open across Greater Manchester on Thursday at 7am and close at 10pm.