Standing as a candidate at a local election

This information is for:

• prospective candidates (a person who want to stand for election)
• election agents (the person responsible for the proper management of the candidate's election campaign)

Within this guide, an 'elector' is a person who has a right to vote in elections in South Tyneside.

The Returning Officer and Electoral Registration Officer

The Returning Officer (RO) is the person responsible for running the elections.

The Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) is responsible for maintaining the register of electors and absent voters' lists.

Jonathan Tew, Chief Executive of the Council, is the Returning Officer and Electoral Registration Officer.

The Elections Team support the Returning Officer / Electoral Registration Officer and carry out the day-to-day tasks.

Councillors and ward members

Councillors, or ward members, represent the people living in the ward they are elected in.

There are 18 wards in South Tyneside. Each ward has 3 councillors who each serve a 4-year term.

One third of Council seats are elected each year - one in each ward.

There are no local elections in the 4th year. 

The next scheduled local elections are Thursday 2 May 2024.  Nominations have now closed for these elections.

Nominations have now closed for the elections on 2 May 2024.

You can download a nomination pack from this website or, collect a pack from the Elections Office, Town Hall, Westoe Road, South Shields, NE33 2RL.  

If you would like more information, you can contact the Elections Office by telephone on 0191 424 7230 or email elections@southtyneside.gov.uk.

Nomination forms and guidance documents are also available from The Electoral Commission.

Download a nomination pack

Nomination period

Nominations must be hand delivered. You must make an appointment with the Elections Office to hand in your paper.

The Elections Office will carry out an informal check on your paper, before it is officially submitted.

The nomination paper - Section 1

The Surname, Forename and Description details must be completed in full before any electors sign the nomination paper in Section 2.

Complete the 'Commonly Used' sections if you are commonly known by a name other than your actual name and want to use that instead.

Description to use if you are standing on behalf of a registered political party

The description should be the name of the party you are standing for, or a description they have registered with the Electoral Commission.

It must match the description stated on the certificate of authorisation issued by the party which is signed by the Nominating Officer or their deputy.

Please make sure you have checked with your regional office (where appropriate) and are using the correct party description before completing the nomination paper and getting any signatures.

Description to use if you're not standing on behalf of a registered political party

You must enter 'Independent' in the description, or leave the description blank.

The nomination paper - Section 2

Once Section 1 is completed in full, including the description, the nomination must be supported by 2 registered electors.

The supporters must be registered in the ward you are standing in and eligible to vote at local government elections. 

Each column must be completed for both supporters:

• Signature - the person should sign their normal signature (as they would sign a cheque).
• Name in capitals - ask the person to print their name.
  If someone is listed on the electoral register with their full birth name, for example, 'Mary Alice Smith' but goes by, and signs documents, using another name, such as 'Alice Smith', they should sign their name as normal (Alice Smith).
  We will ask you to confirm this is the same person when checking your nomination paper.
• Polling district - the 2-digit code (for example AA) that can be found at the top of each page in the register of electors.
• Elector number - the number to the left of the elector's name in the register of electors.

If you need to check that your supporters are registered and get their elector numbers to add to the nomination paper, you can call the Elections Office on 0191 424 7230.

You must make sure you are aware of the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).

You must make sure supporters are aware of what their personal data will be used for.

Candidate's home address - Part 1

You must complete Part 1 of the Home Address Form. On this form you need to give:

• Your full name.
• Your home address in full.
• Address(es) that allow you to stand as a candidate (qualifying addresses). You can complete more than one. See who can stand for election.
• The name and address of the person who witnesses your consent to nomination form.

Candidate's home address - Part 2

If you do not want your home address to be made public, you must complete and sign Part 2 of the form.

If Part 2 is completed, your home address will not appear on:

• the statement of persons nominated
• notice of poll
• the ballot paper  

Instead, the name of the local authority area for your home address in will appear.

If you do not complete and sign Part 2, your home address will appear on the statement of persons nominated, notice of poll and the ballot papers.

You must complete all sections of the consent to nomination form. 

You should tick the box(es) to show how you qualify to stand for election. This should match with the sections you gave addresses for Part 1 on your home address form.

You must give your date of birth and sign and date the consent form in the presence of a witness. The witness must also sign the form. The witness should be the same person whose details you gave on the home address form.

You must not sign the consent form any earlier than Tuesday 5 March 2024 - one calendar month before the deadline for submitting nomination papers.

You must not sign the form if you are not qualified to stand. By signing the form, you declare that you are not disqualified. 

It is a criminal offence to make a false statement on a nomination paper. See Section 65A of the Representation of the People Act 1983. 

You must make sure you read the guidance notes attached to the nomination paper and Part 1 of the Commission's guidance for candidates and agents before completing the nomination form.

To stand for election in the UK, you must be qualified, and also not be disqualified.

Who can be a candidate (qualifications)

On the day you are nominated and on polling day you must:

• be at least 18 years of age
• be a British, qualifying Commonwealth citizen, or national of an EU member state

'Qualifying Commonwealth citizen' means someone who has indefinite leave to enter or remain in the UK or does not require leave.

You must also meet at least one of the following:

• You are registered to vote as a local government elector in South Tyneside. You must continue to be registered as a local government elector throughout your term of office (unless you are also qualified under other criteria).
• You are the occupier (as owner or tenant) of any land or premises in South Tyneside during the whole 12 months before nomination.
• Your main, or only place of work during last 12 months is in South Tyneside, including unpaid work.
• You have lived in South Tyneside during the last 12 months.

It is important to mark all of the qualifications that you meet when completing the consent to nomination.

You cannot be a candidate if you:

• Are employed by the Council or hold a paid office under the Council, including joint boards or committees. Candidates may be 'employed by the Council' if they work at certain schools, fire services, police or health services.
• Are subject of a Bankruptcy Restrictions Order, or interim restrictions order.
• Have been sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 3 months or more (including a suspended sentence), without option of a fine, during the 5 years before polling day.
• Are serving a disqualification due to being found guilty of a corrupt or illegal practice by an election court.
• Hold a politically restricted post.

You may also be disqualified from elections if you have been disqualified from standing for election to a local Council, following a decision of the First-tier Tribunal (formerly the Adjudication Panel for England).

The Local Government (Disqualifications) Act 2022 has introduced a new disqualification relating to sexual offences.

This list is not comprehensive. 

For further information on disqualifications, read part one of the Commission's guidance.

You must do everything you can to check that you are not disqualified before submitting your nomination paper.

It is a criminal offence to make a false statement on a nomination paper. See Section 65A of the Representation of the People Act 1983.

If you are in any doubt, you should contact your employer, consult the legislation or, if necessary, take your own independent legal advice.

The Returning Officer will not be able to confirm whether or not you are disqualified and will not question or investigate the validity of your qualification(s).

If you are standing on behalf of a political party, you must have written permission from the Nominating Officer (or a person authorised to act on their behalf) to use the party name, or one of the descriptions registered with the Electoral Commission.

Party names and descriptions are on the Electoral Commission's website and must match exactly, no changes are allowed.

You must make sure you have checked you have written the correct party description in Section 1 (f) on the nomination paper before getting any signatures.

You can complete the form in the nomination pack and ask the Nominating Officer (or authorised person) to sign it, or supply a form or letter produced by the party and signed by the Nominating Officer (or authorised person).

This form does not need to be completed if you are standing as an independent candidate.

Party candidates can also ask for an emblem to be printed on the ballot paper.

You must say which registered emblem you want to use (if the party has more than one).

You can complete the forms in the nomination pack, or supply a form or letter produced by the party and signed by the nominating officer (or deputy).

This form does not need to be completed if you are standing as an independent candidate.

Election Agents are responsible for the proper management of your election campaign; particularly its financial management and submission of candidate spending returns after the election.

Election Agent appointments can be revoked at any time. However, once an agent has signed their appointment, they cannot resign. This means they must fulfil the duties required of them unless you revoke the appointment.

You can act as your own agent and will default to this if the appointment form is not submitted by the deadline of 4pm on 5 April 2024.

If you act as your own agent and do not provide an office address, your home address will be published on the notice of election agents, even if you have requested for this information to be withheld from the statement of persons nominated, notice of poll and ballot paper.

Once you officially become a candidate you can request a copy of the register of electors and list of postal and proxy voters, also known as absent voters.

The request forms will be in the nomination pack and must be signed by you, as the candidate, before the lists are released.

Note: the earliest date you can officially become a candidate is 26 March 2024.

You can collect paper copies of the lists by hand. PDF or Excel spreadsheet copies can be sent by secure email.

As a candidate you will be uniquely placed to encourage people to register to vote.  You should encourage people, who are not already registered to apply as soon as possible.

The deadline for applying for the election is Tuesday 16 April 2024.

Individuals can apply to register online at GOV.UK: Register to vote.

When discussing registering to vote with individuals, you will need to make them aware that they will need to provide their:

• National Insurance number
• Date of birth
• Address

People who do not have or cannot find their National Insurance number can still register, but they may need to provide further information. If so, they will be contacted by the Elections Team.

The deadline for applying for a postal vote at these elections is 5pm on Wednesday 17 April 2024.

Voters can apply online at GOV.UK: Apply for a postal vote.

Voters should not wait until this date, the earlier they apply for a postal vote, the sooner it can be processed and the quicker it can be sent to them.

The deadline for applying for a proxy vote at these elections is 5pm on Wednesday 24 April 2024, although in some circumstances voters may be able to appoint an emergency proxy after this date.

On printed and digital material (eg leaflets and posters, social media posts, online ads, websites, messages on apps like WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram, and electronic billboards,) you must include the name and address of:

• the printer (where appropriate)
• the promoter
• any person on behalf of whom the material is being published (and who is not the promoter)

These details are known as an 'imprint'. The imprint shows who is responsible for publishing the information and helps to make sure there is transparency for voters about who is campaigning.

If you display banners or posters, make sure you follow planning regulations and remove them no more than two weeks after the election.

Any banners, posters and election material put up on Council land or buildings, including lamp posts and railings, will be removed.

Your posters must not look like an official poll card, and you must not pay anyone to display adverts, unless that is their normal business.

Campaigning on polling day

On polling day, you must not:

• Campaign near polling stations in a way that could be seen by voters as aggressive or intimidating (for example, large groups of supporters carrying banners, or vehicles with loudspeakers or heavily branded with campaign material).
• Breach the requirements on secrecy of the ballot. This is an essential part of any modern democracy and breaches are taken seriously.
• Seek to identify and publicise how votes have been marked on individual ballot papers, particularly if you (or your agents) attend postal vote opening sessions.
• Publish exit polls or any other data based on information given by people about how they voted after they have cast their vote, including a postal vote, before the close of poll.

This list is not exhaustive, for more information go the Electoral Commission website to see their guidance for Candidates and Agents and guidance on campaigning before an election.

For polls taking place from 2 May 2024.

Ban on political campaigners handling postal votes

Political campaigners will be banned from handling postal votes, except:

• where the postal vote is their own, or
• that of a close family member (two people living together as if they were a married couple, or civil partners are treated as if they were spouses or civil partners of each other), or
• someone they provide regular care for
• the ban does not apply if they would handle postal votes in the course of their usual duties (for example, if they work for Royal Mail)

A political campaigner is defined in legislation as:

• a) a candidate at the election
• b) an election agent of a candidate at the election
• c) a sub-agent of an election agent at the election
• d) employed or engaged for the purposes of that person's activities as a candidate
• e) a member of a registered political party and carries on an activity designed to promote a particular outcome at the election - this includes displaying posters, distributing leaflets, posting promotional material on social media accounts and canvassing
• f) employed or engaged by a registered political party in connection with the party's political activities
• g) employed or engaged by a person within paragraphs (a) to (f) to carry on an activity designed to promote a particular outcome at the election
• h) employed or engaged by a person within paragraph (g) to carry on an activity designed to promote a particular outcome at the election

If found guilty of handling postal votes as a campaigner, a person could face a fine and/or imprisonment up to 2 years.

The ban does not apply to handling postal vote applications, however political campaigners should follow the guidance issued by the Electoral Commission for application forms.

Limits on hand delivering completed postal votes

The number of postal votes a person can hand deliver is limited to their own plus no more than 5 for other electors.

Where the elector has been appointed as a postal proxy for another elector - handing in the postal proxy vote would count towards one of the 5 for other electors.

If a person hands in more than 5 postal ballot packs for other electors, all the postal votes (other than their own) will be rejected.

If there is reason to suspect a person has already handed in the maximum number of postal votes on any previous occasion at the election, any subsequent postal votes handed in will be rejected.

Completion of postal vote documents form

Anyone hand delivering postal votes will need to complete a postal vote return form.

The person handing in the postal vote(s) will need to complete the form with their name and address, and confirm:

• if they are handing in their own and / or other people's postal votes
• whether they are a political campaigner
• the number of votes being handed in

If the form is not completed with all the required information, or to the authorised officer's satisfaction, the postal vote(s) will be rejected.

Rejected postal votes will not be included in the count.

Hand delivering postal votes to the Returning Officer

Postal votes can be hand delivered at the Town Hall, Westoe Road, South Shields, NE33 2RL. 

They must be handed to a person authorised by the Returning Officer and the postal vote return form must be completed when the postal vote(s) is handed in.

Postal votes must not be posted through the Council's letterbox at South Shields Town Hall or via the Council's internal mail system.

Postal votes left by voters without completing the form

Postal votes will not be accepted if they are simply left at a polling station or any Council building without a return of postal voting documents form.

These 'left behind' postal votes must be rejected.

After the election, the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) will write to electors who have had their postal vote rejected, telling them why.

Secrecy requirements extended to postal and proxy votes

The secrecy requirements which apply at a polling station are being extended to postal and proxy votes.

It will be an offence to try to find out how someone has voted when completing their postal vote, or to communicate how a postal or proxy voter has voted.

Anyone found guilty of breaching the secrecy requirements could face a fine or imprisonment up to 6 months.

What this means for you

You should make sure anyone supporting an election campaign understands what a campaigner is and is aware of the ban on handling postal votes.

Tell them they can only handle other people's postal votes if they are a close relative, or someone they provide regular care for.

Be aware that suspicions of campaigners handling postal votes will be reported to the police.

Please encourage postal voters to return their postal vote via the Royal Mail system in plenty of time.

If they have missed the post, let them know they can still hand it in at the Town Hall, South Shields, during normal office hours, or any polling station in the borough before 10pm on polling day but they will need to complete a form.

Tell electors about the limit on the number of postal votes that can be handed in - their own plus no more than 5 others.

Tell them they must complete a form when handing in postal votes, and any left at a polling station or South Shields Town Hall without a completed form will be rejected.

Make sure electors know that postal votes left at other Council buildings or posted through Council letterboxes will be classed as 'left behind' and will be rejected.

If you are handling any postal vote application forms, make sure you continue to follow the Electoral Commission's Code of Conduct for campaigners.

Following the introduction of The Elections Act 2022, voters will need to show photographic identification to be able to vote in a polling station. 

Accepted forms of ID include:

• a UK, European Economic Area (EEA) or Commonwealth passport
• a UK, EEA or Commonwealth driving licence
• some concessionary travel passes, such as an older person's bus pass

Voters will be able to use expired ID if they are still recognisable from the photo

The full list of accepted ID is available on the Electoral Commission's website, along with more information about the new requirements, at The Electoral Commission: Voter ID.

Anyone who does not have one of the accepted forms of ID, or whose photo ID no longer looks like them, will be able to apply for free ID online at GOV.UK: Apply for photo ID to vote (called a 'Voter Authority Certificate') or by completing a paper form.

Candidates and their election agents are encouraged to promote the requirements in their publicity campaigns and face to face discussions with residents.

The requirement to show photographic ID does not apply to people who vote by post. For more information, see Voter ID: New requirement for voters to provide photographic identification at polling stations.

The Local Government Association (LGA), which represents councils across England and Wales, is encouraging everyone to set a positive tone during this election period. 

Their Debate Not Hate campaign aims to raise public awareness of the role of councillors in their communities, encourage healthy debate and improve the responses and support for local politicians facing abuse and intimidation.

See the full article, Local Government Association: Debate Not Hate.

The Electoral Commission provide guidance on standing as a candidate.

The guidance is available at The Electoral Commission.

You are encouraged to refer to the guidance when completing the nomination paper and throughout your campaign.

Code of conduct for campaigners and guide for party workers

The Commission's Code of Conduct for Campaigners provides a guide for campaigners, electoral administrators, and police forces about what is, and is not, considered acceptable behaviour at polling stations and in the community during the lead-up to polling day. 

The code also provides information relating to the offence of the handling of postal voting documents by political campaigners and the requirement of secrecy for postal voters. 

A copy of the code of conduct can be found on their website: Electoral Commission: Guidance for Candidates and Agents at local government elections in England.

After the close of nominations, all nominated candidates and their election agents will be invited to attend a live briefing session.

The briefing will give important information on the various election processes and regulations, including procedures at postal vote opening sessions, on polling day and at the verification and count.

The session is to be held in the Reception Room, South Shields Town Hall on Wednesday 10 April 2024 from 5.30pm. 

Please make a note of this date in your diaries and make sure you provide an email address in the space provided on the back of the nomination paper and on the appointment of election agent form (where required) so we can send a reminder to you.