Elections Ahead: HOW TO STAND FOR THE TOWN COUNCIL ELECTIONS
Published: 15 March 2022
All 15 Councillor Seats at Northstowe Town Council are up for election on 5th May 2022.
The elections are administered by the Returning Officer, appointed by the District Council.
Key Timeline:
- The Notice of Election will be published on 28th March - this will open the nomination period for candidates. This notice will be placed on the Town Council’s website and on the noticeboard at The Green.
- Nominations must be submitted by hand to South Cambridgeshire District Council at Cambourne on any working day between 28 March and 5 April, but before 4pm on 5th April.
- If insufficient candidates come forward to fill the 15 places, the candidates that have put themselves forward will be duly elected (and this will then be announced shortly after the nomination period ends), but there will be no formal election (poll).
- If the election is contested (more than 15 candidates have nominated themselves) a poll will take place on Thursday, 5 May 2022.
If you want to stand for these elections you need to do the following:
1. PRINT OUT AND FILL IN A NOMINATION FORM
Ø A nomination form can be found through the dedicated SCDC webpage, Elections 2022 - South Cambs District Council (scambs.gov.uk)
Ø Print and fill in the ‘Nomination Papers – parish Council Elections’ – note: only printed and signed forms, fully-filled in will be accepted.
Ø Please make sure that all sections are filled in and all details are accurately - guidance for all questions and further information on all election procedures can be found at the South Cambridgeshire District Council's website, see: Elections 2022 - South Cambs District Council (scambs.gov.uk).
Ø NB: You will need a nominator and seconder from the Parish and appearing on the Electoral Roll to qualify. Take particular care that you have noted the correct electoral register number of the promoter and seconder for your nomination. The elector numbers can be found on the electoral register - if anyone is unsure, they can email the SCDC Elections Team at elections@scambs.gov.uk with your name and address and they will provide that. Please also note that the first part of any elector number is the polling district number which is QE2 for Northstowe.
Ø key resources and guidance for filling in the nomination form;
- Parish council elections in England | Electoral Commission
o Contains information and multiple links to all the guidance you need - It is recommended that all candidates read this guidance, especially the parts relating to qualification and conduct.
o This also has links embedded to;
§ Guidance for candidates - P and C - Overview - NDS (electoralcommission.org.uk)
§ Election timetable for scheduled local government elections in England - Scheduled Election-timetable-LGE 2022_0.docx (live.com)
Ø If you need help completing the nomination form, please refer to the Electoral Commission guidance (links above) or send the elections team an email at elections@scambs.gov.uk.
NOTE: The Town Clerk has printed copies of the nomination form – please advise if you wish a hard copy by sending an email to townclerk@northstowetowncouncil.gov.uk with your request and local address and he can deliver this to your door.
2. HAND IN YOUR NOMINATION FORM
Ø Hand this in, in person, at the South Cambs DC offices in Cambourne (please note: if sent by post this will not be accepted).
Ø Nomination papers will be accepted by the District Council only on any working day between 28 March and 5 April. Nomination papers must be delivered, by hand, to the offices of South Cambridgeshire District Council in Cambourne (CB23 6EA) between the hours of 8.30am and 5.30pm. Note that nominations must be received by 4.00pm on 5 April. Please be aware that consent to nominations must not be signed more than 1 calendar month prior to the close of nominations.
Ø An appointment can be booked by emailing elections@scambs.gov.uk which the District Council encourages you to make, to avoid having to wait.
Ø When handing in, all nomination papers will be informally checked before you submit them, allowing opportunity for errors to be rectified. For this reason we recommend you do not leave it to the last minute to submit your papers.
NOTE: The Town Clerk can bring the nomination on your behalf.
Ø if you wish to make use of this service, please let the Town Clerk know as soon as possible
- But please be aware that the Town Clerk will and can be no more than a ‘courier’ and cannot check your form for accuracy – that will be done by SCDC when the form is handed in. The Town Clerk cannot be held responsible if the form is not accepted for any reason, and you would then have to resubmit yourself, in person.
Ø The Clerk has made an appointment to drop forms off in Cambourne at the SCDC offices in Cambourne on Friday 1st April, in the early afternoon,
- If you wish me to hand in your nomination form in Cambourne on your behalf, I shall be in The Wing on the following dates:
· Thursday 31st March, 6:30-7:30 PM; and
· Friday 1st April 10-11 AM
Don’t forget the closing date for nominations is 4pm Tuesday 5th April and the nomination form must be in the hands of South Cambs District Council by then!
Are you passionate about your community? Do you want
to help make a long-lasting change? Do you have innovative ideas for the
council? Do you have concerns about a specific issue and want to do something
about it? If this is you, then Northstowe Town Council needs you. We need
people from all backgrounds and experiences who reflect their community to put
themselves forward for election. #MakeAChange and become a councillor. Find out
more at www.nalc.gov.uk/elections
