If you wish to be a candidate for election to a Parish, District
or County Council you must:-
- Be over 18 years of age, be on the electoral register for
the Council for which you wish to be elected.
- If you are not on the register, then you must have either owned
property, lived in or worked in the area of the Council for which
you wish to be elected, throughout the 12 months immediately before
the election.
- In the case of Parish elections, you may qualify to be elected
if you do not live in the Parish, but within 4.8 km of the
boundary. For specific information on how to stand, what will
be involved etc., visit the National Association of Local Council's
website by clicking here.
If you wish to be a candidate for
the Westminster or European Parliaments, then you must be over 21
years of age.
Most candidates are members of and are supported by the major
political parties. Such candidates are entitled to use official
registered party names and to have that name and the logo printed
on the ballot paper.
Any person may stand as an Independent Candidate, or be endorsed by
a local pressure/action group. Such candidates may not, however,
use registered party names or logos on their literature or on the
ballot paper.
Nomination Papers and Guidance
Notes for Candidates may be obtained from Electoral Services,
during the run-up to an election. There are detailed rules
about the number of supporting signatures required, about election
expenses limits and about the time for returning Nomination Papers,
all of which must be strictly observed.
Please contact us using the
details below for further information.
There is no fee payable for
standing as a Candidate for local elections.