Standing for election

Full elections for the District Council are held in all wards every four years in May.

Am I eligible to stand for election?

To stand for election, on the day of nomination, you must be:

• 18 or over
• Be a UK, EU or Commonwealth citizen
• Be registered to vote in or have either worked or lived in the area for one year

You cannot stand if:

• You work for the Council
• You hold a politically restricted post for another local authority
• You are bankrupt
• You have served a prison sentence (including suspended sentences) of 3 months or more within 5 years before the election
• You have been disqualified under any legislation relating to corrupt or illegal practices

You do not need any formal qualifications to become a Councillor.

Standing as a Councillor for a political party

You do not need to be a member of a political party to stand as a Councillor. You will be classed as an independent. The majority of people become Councillors as a result of joining a political party.

If you are thinking of standing as a candidate for a particular political party then you will need to be a member of that party's local organisation.

The independent group of the Local Government Association (LGA) has prepared a helpful guide for Councillors and candidates (please see below).

What do I do next?

Once you have decided to stand for election as a Councillor, you will need to contact the Electoral Services team who will provide you with a Nomination Pack for completion. 

You will need to be proposed and then seconded by another person, followed by another 8 people (known as assentors) to your nomination making a total of 10 people to support you.

Full details of the electoral process including the nomination procedure are available on request using the contact form below.