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.