Candidates and agents Information

1. Candidates and agents Information Scottish Parliamentary election – 5 May 2011

2. Topics • election timetable • qualifications • disqualifications • nominations • agents • postal votes • day of poll • counting of votes • candidates expenses • contacts

3. Election Timetable

4. Election timetable (cont’d)

5. Qualifications • To qualify as a constituency or regional candidate you must (on the day you are nominated and on polling day): • be at least 18 years of age • be a British citizen, an eligible Commonwealth citizen or a Citizen of any other member state of the European Union

6. Disqualifications • A person cannot be a candidate if at the time of your nomination or your election: • you are a full-time member of the judiciary • you are a civil servant • you are a member of the armed forces • you are a member of the police force • you are a member of a legislature of any country or territory outside the Commonwealth (other than Ireland) • you hold an office that is mentioned in the Scottish Parliament (Disqualifications) Order 2010 • your estate has been sequestrated by a court in Scotland and you have not been discharged; you are the subject of a bankruptcy restrictions order or interim order by a court in England or Wales; or you have been adjudged bankrupt by a court in Northern Ireland • you are currently serving a prison sentence of at least one year • you have been disqualified under Part III of the Representation of the People Act 1983 (which relates to donations and other offences)

7. Nominations • Nomination papers must be submitted to the relevant Returning Officer by 4pm on Tuesday 29 March 2011 • [insert details of when and where they can be delivered]

8. The deposit • Each candidate or regional list must deposit £500 with the relevant RO so that the nomination is valid. • Deposit can be made using: - legal tender (cash) - a banker’s draft or building society cheque • The RO may also accept a deposit made by a debit or credit card or an electronic funds transfer. [Delete as appropriate] • The person making the deposit must give the relevant RO their name and address. • If the candidate or party obtained more than 5% of the valid votes cast in the constituency or region, the deposit will be returned. • The deposit will also be returned if a regional list or individual regional candidate is allocated a seat.

9. Nomination form – Constituency candidates If you wish to stand as a constituency candidate, your form must contain: • your full name • your full home address • the name, address and signature of a witness to your nomination You also have an option to include on the form: • a registered party name (if authorised to use one) • any names you commonly use that are different from your actual name (and which you wish to appear on the ballot paper).

10. Nomination form – Individual regional candidates If you wish to stand as an individual regional candidate, your form must contain: • your full name • your full home address • the name, address and signature of a witness to your nomination You also have an option to include on the form any names you commonly use that are different from your actual name (and which you wish to appear on the ballot paper).

11. Nomination form – Nominating a party list at the regional election Forms for a party’s regional list must contain: • the full name of each candidate on the list in the order they are to be elected, up to a maximum of 12 candidates • the full home address of each candidate • the name and signature of the party’s Nominating Officer or a person authorised by them to nominate the list • the name of the party and the registered party description to appear on the ballot paper (if applicable) • commonly used names for each candidate (if applicable)

12. Descriptions you can use if you are standing for a political party – Constituency candidates • You can use the party’s name as the description to appear next to your name on the statement of persons (and parties) nominated and on the ballot paper. • To use a party’s name you must have a certificate of authorisation signed by the party’s Nominating Officer (or someone appointed to do this on their behalf). • If authorised, you may insert the word ‘Scottish’ before the party’s name. • If the first word of the party name is ‘The’, then ‘Scottish’ must be inserted as the second word. • You can also ask for one of the party’s official emblems to be printed on the ballot paper.

13. Descriptions you can use if you are standing for a political party – Regional party list • A party submitting a party list must use the party’s name as the description to appear on the statement of persons (and parties) nominated and on the ballot paper. • The party name can be preceded by the word ‘Scottish’ if it is not already part of the name - If the party name is begins with ‘The’, then ‘Scottish’ would be inserted after that word. • the party may choose to follow the party name with one of the descriptions the party has registered with the Commission. • To use a party’s name/description a party list must have a certificate of authorisation signed by the party’s Nominating Officer (or someone appointed to do this on their behalf). • Regional lists can also request to have a party emblem on the ballot paper.

14. Joint descriptions • As a constituency candidate, you can stand for election for more than one party and use a joint description • You will need a certificate of authorisation from the Nominating Officers for both parties and they can allow the use of a joint description consisting of the names of both parties. • A regional list cannot be submitted jointly by two political parties.

15. Nominations – consent to nomination • Must include: • name and address details • confirm that you are not disqualified from being a Member of the Scottish Parliament • date of birth must be included • candidate must sign and date form • witness must sign and date form

16. Agents • Election agent • must be declared to the RO before 4pm on Tuesday 29 March 2011 • Sub-agent • must give written notice to the RO by no later than Tuesday 3 May 2011 • Polling agent • the RO requires notice in writing of any people appointed as polling agents by 26 April 2011 • Counting agent • the RO requires notice in writing of any persons nominated to attend the counting of the votes by 26 April 2011

17. Postal Votes • Code of conduct – no candidate or supporter should put themselves in a position where their honesty or integrity, or that of the candidate or party, can be questioned • Personal identifiers • absent voters required to provide a sample signature and their date of birth on their application • this information is stored electronically and checked against the security statement returned with the electors completed postal vote pack • This adds additional security steps to the processing of applications and verification of returned votes • it is important that any received applications or postal vote packs are returned to the elections office as soon as possible to ensure adequate time for processing

18. Day of Poll • Polling stations open from 7am to 10pm • Office open [x]am to [x]pm for queries or problems relating to the administration of the election • any queries relating to regulatory issues or queries about a candidate’s campaign literature please contact the Electoral Commission (contact details shown later) • Polling station inspectors and their remit • Tellers – refer to guidance • Canvassing • Postal Votes – can be handed into polling stations within voting area or delivered to the elections office until 10pm.

19. Counting of Votes • [insert local arrangements for the counting of Scottish Parliamentary election votes] • Count centre will open to candidates, agents and spectators from [x] • The count will be held in: • [insert count centre location/address] • Make sure appointments for counting agents are submitted to the RO prior to deadline

20. Spending issues

21. Candidates’ expenses • You must report your spending to the appropriate Returning Officer after the election. • You should report separately for each of the long campaign and the short campaign periods. • The agent must complete a spending return for each period. • The agent must submit the spending returns and their own declaration to the appropriate Returning Officer within 35 calendar days of the result of the election being announced. • The candidate’s declaration must be submitted within seven working days of the return.

22. Contacts

23. Contacts • Elections office – [insert] • Electoral Commission contacts - Party and Election Finance 020 7271 0616 - Scotland office 0131 225 0200

24. Questions

25. Thank you Please ensure you take your candidate’s pack for guidance