Guidance for candidates The following pages together with their links have been produced by The Electoral Commission, an independent body which oversees elections and regulates political finance in the UK. The information contained in these pages are for candidates and agents at Parish and community council elections in England. They contain all the guidance and resources required if you are a candidate at a parish or community election. All these documents apply to parish and community council elections. It does not apply to district, borough, county, county borough or unitary authority elections, mayoral elections or elections to the Greater London Authority. Our guidance and resources for other elections in the UK can be accessed from our website at: www.electoralcommission.org.uk/guidance/resources-for-those-we-regulate/candidates-and-agents. Throughout this document, the use of the word ‘our’ refers to The Electoral Commission, ‘you’ refers to the candidate. ‘Must’ refers to a specific legal requirement. ‘Should’, for items considered to be minimum good practice, but which are not legal or regulatory requirements. Deadlines mentioned in this document are generic. A generic election timetable has been published on The Electoral Commissions website. Once an election has been called, you will be able to obtain a copy of the specific timetable for that election from the Returning Officer. Contents Elections: who does what Overview document Part 1 Can you stand for election? Part 2a Standing as an independent candidate Part 2b Standing as a party candidate Part 3 Candidate spending return and declaration Part 4 The campaign Part 5 Your right to attend key electoral events Part 6 After the declaration of results Elections: who does what What is an election? Who gets involved at elections? Voters Political parties Independent candidates The Returning Officer The Electoral Commission Election Rules Overview document Purpose of our guidance for candidates How to use our guidance Terminology used in the guidance Who does what at these elections and how to contact them? The Returning Officer The Electoral Registration Officer The Electoral Commission Contacting us If you are a candidate in England If you are a candidate in Wales TOP Part 1 – Can you stand for election? Essential information Qualifications for standing for election Disqualifications Can I stand for election in more than one parish/community council? Can I stand as a candidate at both a parish/community council and the election to the principal council? If my parish/community is warded, can I stand for election in more than one ward? Supplementary information Qualifications Being a registered local government elector Occupying as owner or tenant any land or other premises in the parish/community area Your main or only place of work is in the parish/community area Living in the parish/community area (or within three miles of it) Further information on certain disqualifications Working for the parish/community council Bankruptcy restrictions or interim order TOP Part 2a – Standing as an independent candidate Essential information Completing your nomination papers The nomination form Consent to nomination Submitting your nomination papers Withdrawing What happens after the close of nominations? Being validly nominated in more than one ward Inspecting other candidates’ nomination papers Will the election be contested or uncontested? Appointing your postal voting, polling and counting agents.. Death of a candidate Supplementary information Commonly used name(s) Signatures of proposer and seconder Death of a candidate TOP Part 2b – Standing as a party candidate Essential information Completing your nomination papers The nomination form Consent to nomination The certificate of authorisation Request to use an emblem on the ballot paper Submitting your nomination papers Withdrawing What happens after the close of nominations? Being validly nominated in more than one ward Inspecting other candidates’ nomination papers Will the election be contested or uncontested? Appointing your postal voting, polling and counting agents Death of a candidate Supplementary information Commonly used name(s) Signatures of proposer and seconder Death of a candidate TOP Part 3 – Candidate spending return and declaration Candidate spending return and declaration Who this form is for The spending return Recording Candidate spending After the election Explanatory notes Details of candidate and election Part 1: Summary of spending Part 2: Payments Completing and returning this form to the Returning Officer Where can I get further advice? Return of Election Expenses Part one: Summary of expenses Part two: Payments A. Breakdown of expenditure B. Unpaid claims C. Declaration of value of notional expenditure over £50 Declaration by candidate as to election expenses TOP Part 4 – The campaign Campaigning dos and don’ts When can you start campaigning? When does a person officially become a candidate? During the campaign, you may During the campaign, you should… During the campaign, you must not Use of the electoral register and lists of absent voters Restrictions on the use of the information contained in the electoral register and lists of absent voters Applying for a copy of the electoral register and the lists of absent voters Using schools and rooms for public meetings Campaign publicity dos and don’ts Using imprints What is an imprint? What do you need to include? Example of an imprint Where do you put the imprint? Social media Websites and other electronic material Polling day dos and don’ts Maintaining the integrity of the election List of offences Bribery Treating Undue influence Personation False statements About a candidate’s personal character or conduct False registration information and false postal/proxy voting application False application to vote by post or by proxy Multiple voting and proxy voting offences Breaches of the secrecy of the ballot Campaign publicity material Racial hatred Reporting allegations of electoral fraud What if you have made a mistake? TOP Part 5 – Your right to attend key electoral events Essential information The opening of postal votes What is postal voting? What does the postal ballot pack contain? What does a postal voting agent do? Duty to maintain secrecy When are postal votes opened and how will you know when an opening session is taking place? Flowchart of the opening session process Invalid and rejected postal voting statements Polling stations Who can vote at polling stations? Polling station opening hours Finding the location of polling stations What does a polling agent do? Maintaining the secrecy of the ballot What is the normal voting process? Collection of postal ballots from the polling station Tellers What happens after polls close? The count Who can attend the count What does a counting agent do? When and where will the count take place? How the votes will be counted What if the vote on a ballot paper is not clear? What happens to the paperwork after the result is announced? Supplementary information Doubtful ballot papers TOP Part 6 – After the declaration of results Essential information Declaration of acceptance of office Election petitions What happens to the election paperwork after the result is announced? Submitting your election spending returns Supplementary information Lodging an election petition Inspection and supply of election-related documents Inspection and supply of the marked registers and lists of absent voters Inspection of other election documents Election spending returns TOP