Who can stand for election to the District Council?

To qualify as a Candidate for the District or Parish Election, a person must be at least 18 years of age and a Commonwealth citizen, or a citizen of the Republic of Ireland or a citizen of another Member State of the European Union and either

be registered as a local government elector within the District/Parish; or
have occupied as owner or tenant any land or other premises during the previous twelve months within the District/Parish; or
his/her principal or only place of work during the previous twelve months has been in the area of the District/Parish; or
have resided within the District during the previous twelve months (or in the case of a Parish Election within 3 miles of the Parish boundary).

How do I stand for election?

You will need to complete and return a nomination paper. These will be available about six to eight weeks before polling day. They are available from the Returning Officer at South Cambridgeshire District Council. The nomination pack contains all the information you will need relating to key dates, the information you have to supply, and a summary of some of the main legislation. Many candidates choose to use a political description (although you do not have to), and if that is the case, the political party concerned has to confirm that you may use their name, in which case you may also use their logo on the ballot paper.

Your nomination paper will also require you to obtain two people from within the area for which you are standing to act as your proposer and seconder. In the case of nominations for District Council, another eight people from within the ward will need to support your candidature on the nomination form.

The way in which you then publicise your candidature, in order to obtain support, is largely a matter for you, although there are a number of rules relating to how much you can spend on this. There are also a number of quaintly described "Corrupt and Illegal Practices" which you must avoid, covering things like bribery, corruption and the use of undue influence. Again, the nomination pack will point out some of these pitfalls.

There is a limit on how much you can legally spend on your election campaign, but these are costs, which you (or maybe a political party) will have to pay. These are known as election expenses, but please be advised that these are not re-imbursable, as the name might otherwise imply. You do not have to spend anything on your campaign, and at local level there is no deposit to pay.

Things you promise during your election campaign could have an effect on your ability to participate in certain discussions or decisions if elected, since all Councillors when declaring their acceptance of that office undertake to be guided by the National Code of Local Government Conduct. In essence, if you have a private or personal interest in a matter on which the Council has to decide, you should take no part in that decision. You should also never seek advantage from your position or preferential treatment in any personal dealings with the Council and you should never disclose or use confidential information for personal advantage.

Further details are available in the SCDC Constitution (Part 5 - Codes and Protocols: Members' Code of Conduct (This link will open in a new window)) or from Standards for England (This link will open in a new window).

Standing as a member of 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. If you are interested in standing for a political party, please visit the register of political parties via the Electoral Commission (This link will open in a new window).

Standing as an Independent councillor?

The independent network provides useful resources for independent Councillors and candidates. You can view the guide at www.independentnetwork.org.uk/resources (This link will open in a new window)

Download this information as a PDF booklet.