Your Guide to Council Elections: Stand & Vote Effortlessly

2. Council elections • Who can stand/who can vote • When? • How?

3. You can stand as a candidate if: • Aged 18 or over • A British, Commonwealth or EU Citizen • Have lived or worked in council area for at least 12 months before you are nominated • Have no convictions or are a bankrupt • Be on the electoral register • You are nominated by 10 electors in the ward you are standing for • Are not employed by council you are standing for • Candidates do not have to pay a deposit – unlike General Election

4. You cannot stand as a candidate… • If you are bankrupt • Have been guilty of election malpractice in previous five years • Have been imprisoned for three months or more in last five years • Occupy a politically restricted post (eg work for council for which you intend to stand)

5. You can vote in a local election if… • Over age of 18 • A citizen of Britain, Ireland or Commonwealth • Not a convicted prisoner • Are on the electoral register in relevant council area

6. Postal votes • Permitted where you provide proof of date of birth and signature that can be checked when vote cast • Registration officers have powers to check IDs and remove people from electoral register

7. Council elections – when? Electoral cycle depends on where you live • Most councils have “whole council” or “all out” elections every four years (2015 – Medway Council, London boroughs) • Metropolitan councils have “partial” or “by thirds” elections: one third of councillors stand for election every year (also some districts) • Some English unitaries & districts choose to have elections by thirds • Seven have elections by halves

8. Council elections – how ii • Local elections held every May, normally first Thursday of the month • Councillors are elected to “wards” or “electoral divisions” – each returning 1,2 or 3 members • At ballot stations in person or (increasingly) through postal voting and e-voting (fraud issues) • Election results decided by “first past the post” system

9. Elections + party politics • Council elections not solely dominated by mainstream parties • Recent years have seen the rise of minority, independent and single issue parties, often achieving notable successes (Green Party; Health Concern; BNP; residents groups) • Why: much easier to get foothold in councils than parliamentary elections – no deposit/smaller turnouts etc

10. Electoral division+wards • Areas (“constituencies”) represented by county councillors • Usually, one councillor for each division but larger ones may have two representatives • Boundaries determined by Boundary Committee of Electoral Commission • Any boundary changes must be agreed by Secretary of State

11. Returning officer • Responsible for overseeing and managing local and general elections • Orders recounts where necessary • Announces results • Is usually the chief executive of local relevant authority but often chairman/mayor of council will announce results

12. Returning officer ii) • Arranges polling stations and appoints ‘tellers’ • Ensures ballot boxes are not interfered with • Receives pay for role in election – additional to salary