Nearly 200 candidates are battling to become elected police commissioners in the November 15 polls - with nominations reported from all but two of the 41 areas involved in England and Wales.
Tories and Labour - with 39 each - are on course to field runners in all of the contests.
So far Ukip has 25 candidates, Liberal Democrats 22, English Democrats five. There are 52 independents.
Parties with one runner each are: Green, British Freedom Party, Campaign to Stop Politicians Running Policing, Justice and Anti-Corruption Party and Zero Tolerance Policing ex Chief.
Nominations are still to be published later this week at Avon and Somerset and Gloucestershire.
Big name candidates include Labour former deputy prime minister John Prescott at Humberside, the party's ex-Solicitor General Vera Baird at Northumbria and former Welsh first minister Alun Michael in South Wales.
Other Labour former ministers listed are Jane Kennedy (Merseyside), Tony Lloyd (Greater Manchester), Paddy Tipping (Nottinghamshire) and James Plaskitt (Warwickshire).
Also standing are Conservative ex-minister Michael Mates (Hampshire).
Former deputy chief constable Labour's Ron Hogg (Durham) and ex-assistant chief constable Tory John Dwyer (Cheshire) have thrown their hats into the ring.
Three areas - Dyfed-Powys, North Yorkshire, Staffordshire - have only two candidates which means the outcome will be known on the first count.
UK 
