Nominations
Once you have decided to stand for election as a City Councillor you will need to be proposed and seconded by 2 people and also to have 8 further people as assentors to your nomination.
Full details of the electoral process including the nomination procedure will be available upon request from the section of the Council which deals with Elections and which can be contacted at:
Electoral Services Section
Town Hall
Town Hall Square
Leicester
LE1 9BG
Tel. 0116 299 5965
Fax. 0116 247 0863
E-mail: electoral.services@leicester.gov.uk
The nomination pack will include nomination forms, timetables and guidance notes. The timetable for the next local election is available on request. As a candidate you will be invited to a meeting held by the Council to hear about postal votes, where the count of the votes will be held, where the polling stations are going to be and to ask any questions you may have.
It is your responsibility, or your Agent’s, (see below) to present nomination papers to the returning officer before the statutory deadline.
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Nomination forms |
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What you may need to know before you complete your nomination form
Some points you should consider:
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do not leave this task until the last minute, as there may be a mistake in your papers and you will need time to rectify this
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when collecting your 10 signatures, it is useful to take a copy of the voters' list with you. You can then compare the name with that on the nomination form and write down the assentor’s number. The name and number should be exactly the same
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it is important to read the nomination papers and supporting material and make a careful note of when each of the various papers need to be returned. The Returning Officer can help with any queries
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make sure the people nominating or seconding you have nominated only you
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Electoral register
In the run up to the election candidates can have a free copy of the electoral register for the ward for which they are standing, which lists residents who can vote at the next election and a map showing the ward boundaries.
Do I need an election agent?
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you can take on this role yourself but it is helpful to have an agent
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if you are in a political party, it may be that one person takes on the role of agent for several candidates
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it is the agent’s responsibility to ensure that forms are sent in at the correct times and to keep a clear and accurate record of financial expenditure, to be submitted after the election
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you should work closely with your agent as a double check
What are Polling Agents and Counting Agents?
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these are all safeguards to ensure a fair election
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Polling Agents are people you can nominate to go into the polling stations to ensure that the polling stations are being run fairly. They cannot ask the polling clerks who has or has not voted
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Counting Agents are nominated to attend the count to ensure a fair and accurate count of votes
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you do not have to nominate either of these, though you may find friends and helpers are keen to attend the count
Election Expenses, who pays?
If you decide to become a councillor and spend money on your campaign, it is important to note that you have to pay for your own publicity material, property, services or items used for the campaign. However, if you are a member of a political group or some other group, you may find that financial help is available. You will need to check this with your political party or group.
Furthermore, although you or your party/group pays for the election expenses, you must keep all your receipts. You will need to submit a statement of election expenses, supported by receipts, shortly after the Election. This is done to make sure that the money you spend on the election campaign does not go over the set limit of £600.00, with an additional 5p for every entry in the ward register of electors for which you are seeking to be elected.
If you have any queries about election expenses please contact the Electoral Services Section:
Town Hall,
Town Hall Square
Leicester
LE1 9BG
Tel. 0116 299 5965
Fax. 0116 247 0863
electoral.services@leicester.gov.uk
