Notice of Election_Parish Council
Parish councils have elections every four years. This is typically combined with a borough council election on the same day as the ordinary local government election. The last parish council elections were held in May 2015. The next parish council elections will therefore be held on Thursday 2 May 2019. Every current member of a parish council term of office will expire four days after the date of the poll (Tuesday 7 May 2019 as Bank Holiday Monday is excluded).
It is therefore important that current members, who wish to continue as an elected member of the parish, must submit a nomination paper to stand as a candidate and contest their seat should an election be held. An election is only held if there are more candidates than seats on the parish council.
Standing for Election
To be able to stand as a candidate at a parish council election, the prospective candidate must
• be at least 18 years old
• be a British citizen, an eligible Commonwealth citizen or a citizen of any member state of the European Union, and
• meet at least one of the following four qualifications:
a. You are, and will continue to be, registered as a local government elector for the parish in which you wish to stand from the day of your nomination onwards.
b. You have occupied as owner or tenant any land or other premises in the parish area during the whole of the 12 months before the day of your nomination and the day of election.
c. Your main or only place of work during the 12 months prior to the day of your nomination and the day of election has been in the parish/community area.
d. You have lived in the parish area or within three miles of it during the whole of the 12 months before the day of your nomination and the day of election.
Candidates can stand on behalf of a political party, but must ensure they are authorised to do so and their nomination paper is supported by the political parity nominating officer.
Candidates can stand as an independent candidate. Alternatively, a candidate may give a description of no more than six words to appear on the ballot paper. It can be any description providing it is sufficient to identify them and is unlikely to associate them with a political party registered with the Electoral Commission.
Election Timetable and the Nomination Period
Parish elections are run on a statutory timetable. The Notice of Election will be published on Friday 22 March 2019. The nomination period will start on Monday 25 March 2019.
Nominations papers must be delivered by hand to the Returning Officer at Bootle Town Hall, Oriel Road Bootle, L20 7AE between the hours of 10.00am and 4.00pm from Monday 25 March 2019 through to Wednesday 3 April 2019.
Any nomination paper delivered after 4.00pm on Wednesday 3 April 2019 will not be accepted.
Should a candidate wish to withdraw their nomination paper, then they must do so before 4.00pm on Wednesday 3 April 2019, otherwise they will stand validly nominated regardless of whether the election is contested or not.
Following the close of nominations, an election will only be held if there are more candidates than seats available on the parish council. All other candidates will be elected without contest
NOTE Nomination Papers will be made available from Monday 11 March 2019
Sefton MBC Electoral Services
For further information on standing as a candidate at elections or the electoral process contact
Neil Middlehurst – Electoral Services Manager, Sefton MBC
Tel: 0151 934 2260 Email: neil.middlehurst@sefton.gov.uk