Chorley : Electoral nominations

Electoral nominations

If you want to stand for election you'll need to be nominated.

Most candidates are nominated through a political party. However, individuals are welcome to stand in their own right. Before you can be accepted as a candidate you must get one person to agree to propose the nomination and another person to agree to second the proposal. Both of these people must be on the electoral register.

The deadline for nominations for the 2010 elections has now passed

Eligibility criteria for borough elections

Candidates must be qualified to stand for election. The Local Government Act 1972, Section 79, sets out the qualifications for standing as a candidate and the grounds for disqualification of a candidate.

Eligible candidates must be at least 18 years old; and:

be on the electoral register for the district, or
have worked in the district for the previous year, or
have lived in the district for the previous year, or
have owned or rented land or other premises in the district for the whole of the previous year*

*The previous year is calculated from the day the candidate is nominated for election. The candidate must be a Commonwealth citizen. a citizen of Republic of Ireland or a citizen of another Member State of the European Community.

The applicant may be disqualified as a candidate for the borough elections if he or she:

holds a paid office under the local authority or a politically restricted post, as defined in Part I of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989,
has been declared bankrupt in the last five years and has not repaid their debts,
has been convicted of a criminal offence and sentenced to at least three months imprisonment (including any suspended sentence) within the previous five years, or
is disqualified due to corrupt practices under the Representation of the People Act 1983 or the Audit Commission Act.

Evidence Required

To stand as a candidate at any election a nomination paper must be submitted. The nomination paper gives details of name, address and political description (if any). A nomination paper has to be signed by the correct number of supporters.

To stand as a candidate in a County or Borough election 10 electors (one proposer, one seconder and eight assentors) need to sign the nomination paper. Everyone signing the nomination paper must be included on the Register of Electors for the area in which the election is to be held. If someone signs your nomination paper and they are not included on the relevant Register of Electors, the paper will not be valid.

Guidance Notes

Full name and home address must be included. If desired, a description can be included, such as the political party. Candidates cannot submit a nomination paper using a political party description unless they have their permission to do so and a certificate from them saying that they are authorised to use their description.

Agents do not have to be appointed. However, during an election some candidates appoint persons to assist them in their campaign. More information on the appointment of polling and counting agents will be given once the decision is made to stand for election.

A successful candidate would be expected to follow the Council's Code of Conduct.

Application Process

The nomination forms to stand as a candidate are available from the council. To apply for a form please contact us. There is no charge to stand as a candidate for election. However, any costs incurred by a candidate in standing for election will have to be paid by the candidate. Details of expenses will be supplied with the nomination form.

Eligibility criteria for parliamentary elections

The rules around the parliamentary elections are slightly different - for more information click here.

: Thinking of Becoming a Councillor?

Here is a brief guide to becoming a local councillor in Chorley. If you would like to know more about how we work then take time to look at our website.

: Council and democracy

This area aims to provide you with an overview about how the organisation is run and ways in which you can get involved.

: The Chorley Smile Campaign

People in Chorley are being invited to sign up for a borough-wide civic pride 'Chorley Smile' campaign to make residents feel good and encourage them to get involved in making a difference to their neighbourhood.