Parish councillors
are elected by the public and serve four-year terms. Following
elections, councils appoint a chair, or town mayor in town councils.
Parish councillors were unpaid positions until 2004 when allowance
schemes were introduced to encourage more people to stand. Allowances,
which tend not to be very large are at the discretion of the
individual councils and they often choose to maintain a strictly
unpaid status. The Election Procedure Ordinary elections of
local councillors take place on the first Thursday in May every
four years.
For most local councils election year is 2003, 2007 etc. but
where the principal authority (county, district and unitary
authority) councillor is elected in some other year that is
also the year of the local council election. Reorganisation
of local government may cause alteration of the election day
and election year in some cases.
The election timetable is as follows: Publication of notice of election: Not later than the
twenty-fifth day before the day of election. Delivery of Nomination papers:Not later than noon on
the nineteenth day before the day of election. Publication of list of candidates: Not later than noon
on the seventeenth day before the day of election. Delivery of notices of withdrawals of candidature:Not
later than noon on the sixteenth day before the day of election.
Notice of Poll: Not later than the sixth day before the
day of election. Polling:Between 08.00 and 21.00 on the day of election.
In calculating the timetable the Bank holidays and weekends
are disregarded.
Nomination process
A prospective candidate must deliver or send by post to the
Returning Officer a valid nomination paper. This form is obtained
from the Officer. The candidate's surname, forenames, residence
and description (if required) must be entered and his or her
number and prefix letter from the current register of electors.
The Returning Officer has a copy of this register, and the clerk
of the local council normally has one. The nomination paper
must also contain similar particulars of a proposer and a seconder.
They must be electors for the area for which the candidate seeks
election (i.e. the parish, community or town or the ward if
it is divided into wards): they must sign it.
What Next?
The returning officer appointed by a principal authority (district,
borough, county or unitary authority) is the person responsible
for the conduct and arrangement for community, parish and town
council elections.
If you are considering becoming a candidate for election it
could be wise to contact the Returning Officer to obtain any
more detailed information. Also for more information about what
life is like as councillor contact your local County Association
of Local Councils or alternatively your local community, parish
or town council. But the election is not for a few years If
a seat becomes vacant mid-term (or if there are not enough candidates
to fill all council seats at election time) the council will
hold a by-election. In certain circumstances the council may
then co-opt members to the council.
