Who can vote in council candidate selections (England)?
The process for choosing your council candidates is usually outlined in section 9.3 of your local party constitution, however the Model Local Party Constitution (which…
The two “Six Month Rules”
These often cause confusion as they have same name but entirely different meanings: The first is to avoid unnecessary by-elections. For the last six months…
Telling, Tellers and Polling Stations
Tellers are the people who sit or stand outside the polling stations collecting the electoral roll numbers of people who have voted or are about…
Purdah
Civil servants and local government officers are not supposed to be partisan at any time but they need to take extra care to avoid any…
Marked Registers
The marked register is a copy of the electoral roll that was used on polling day that shows who voted. It is available in two…
Hustings
During general elections (and occasionally, but rarely local elections), it is quite common for there to be a series of election hustings where they invite…
Finding Potential Candidates
Not all of us find it easy to find people to stand as councillors. But finding the right candidates, to provide a strong representative team…
Eligibility
Candidate eligibility can be a complex area with some less than obvious rules making it difficult to decide whether someone can stand for election or…
Issue of postal ballots
Issue of postal votes Postal vote ballot papers must be posted out by the authorities with provision (for postal votes sent to UK addresses) for…
Proxy Votes
Proxy votes Who may act as a proxy? Only someone who is (or will be) registered individually may apply for a proxy or be appointed…
Postal and Proxy Vote Applications
A postal vote means someone can (as the name suggests) vote by post rather than having to turn up in person on the day at…
Data Protection and Casework
Casework People whose addresses you have purely because they contacted councillors with casework should not then be written to for other purposes e.g. to solicit…
Data Protection
What small print do you need? All literature – both inside and outside election time – should carry an imprint. The Newspapers, Printers and Reading…
Posters and Imprints
Posters and Imprints Posters must have an imprint on the side that will be displayed. This also applies to a leaflet, one side of which…
Copyright: Graphics, Photos, Logos and Newspaper Articles
Graphics and photos Do not reproduce illustrations, cartoons or photos from newspapers/magazines without getting permission. There may be a fee, and there is likely to…
Copyright and Maps
Copyright and Maps Do not reproduce copyrighted maps without permission. This includes those that originate from the Ordnance Survey, A-Z or other commercial publications. Google…
Digital Imprints and the Law
Digital imprints The legal situation over the use of imprints on websites, in emails, on Facebook and so on is annoyingly vague as it is…
Imprints and the Law
Imprints – Applies to physical literature only, for online use see ‘Digital Imprints‘ During an election all literature for voters must bear an imprint. The…
Ten Golden Rules to Avoid Libel
10 golden rules to avoid libel Check the facts.Then check them again. Are they backed up by documentary evidence? Would the evidence crumble if challenged?…
If your candidate may have been defamed
Stop, pause for breath and pause again. Being on the receiving end of a nasty personal attack, it can be hard to judge the situation…
What to do if you Receive a Legal Threat
What to do if you receive a legal threat If you are on the receiving end of a legal threat over defamation, neither rush to…
Resharing messages of support and Polling station selfies
Resharing messages of support Resharing on social media messages of support from voters is a good way of building momentum for a campaign and encouraging…
The Rules on Balanced Coverage: TV, Radio and Paper Media
The rules on balanced coverage TV and Radio The rules require that during an election they are fair – which does not mean they have…
General Election Freepost Communications
Election Communications Your entitlement Free delivery of an unaddressed leaflet to every household in the electoral area or an addressed item to every elector is…
Fly Posting
Fly posting and what to do about it Putting posters on property without the owner’s permission is illegal. If opponents fly post warn them of…
Where Posters Can Be put Legally
Where posters can be put legally Posters can be put on private land by permission of the owner. There is no requirement for the displayer…
Literature, Media and the Law: Defamation
Defamation What is defamation? Defamation is the blanket term that covers libel and slander, the difference being the permanence of the offending item. Libel encompasses…
Section 75 Returns
Section 75 returns Forms for Section 75 are no longer usually provided to agents as part of the pack given out by the Returning Officer…
Apportionment of Expenses
Guidelines for the apportionment of expenses where there are multiple vacancies The key requirement is that it must be possible to demonstrate to the courts,…
Finances and Multiple Elections on the Same Day
Multiple elections on the same day Simultaneous elections This is when a local and Parliamentary election or parish election occurs on the same day. The…
Organising Your Bank Accounts
Organising your bank accounts Why it matters The law requires that all money received for the election must be accounted for on election returns, with…
Calculating Costs for Your Budget
Calculating costs for your budget Your budget will help you do two things: make sure there is the money there to pay for all the…