Skip to content

Am I able to stand for election to become an Councillor?

You can be a Councillor for several Councils at the same time, such as a County Council, District Council and Parish/Town Council. You can also be a Councillor if you have a full time job and by law your employer must allow you to take a reasonable amount of time off during working hours to perform your duties as a Councillor.

You cannot stand for election as either a District or Parish/town Councillor if you already work for the Council, are subject to bankruptcy restrictions order or interim order, have a criminal conviction involving a prison sentence or suspended sentence of not less than 3 months in the last 5 years or have been convicted of a corrupt or illegal practice by an election court.

You do not need to belong to a political party to stand for election.

County/District Councillor

You can stand as a candidate to become a County/District Councillor if:

  • You are over 18 or over on the day you submit your nomination paper and are a British, Commonwealth or European Union Citizen;

And at least one of the following qualifications:

  • Are either a registered local government elector in the electoral area you are wanting to stand as a candidate, or
  • Have resided in the area for the whole 12 months preceding the day of nominations, or
  • Work in the electoral area you wanting to stand (and have for at least the past 12 months), or
  • Own property in the electoral area you are wanting to stand (and have for at least the past 12 months).

Parish/Town Councillor

You can stand as a candidate to become a Parish/Town Councillor if:

  • You are over 18 or over on the day you submit your nomination paper and are a British, Commonwealth or European Union Citizen

And at least one of the following qualifications:

  • Are either a registered local government elector in the electoral area you are wanting to stand as a candidate, or
  • Have resided in the area for the whole 12 months preceding the day of nominations, or
  • Work in the electoral area you wanting to stand (and have for at least the past 12 months), or
  • Own property in the electoral area you are wanting to stand (and have for at least the past 12 months), or
  • For the whole of the previous 12 months you have lived in the Parish/Town or within 3 miles of the boundary.

Share this page