If you are interested in being a councillor here’s some next steps to consider:
1. Start building your profile so that voters know who you are
Now that you’ve decided to stand it’s time to begin gathering local support.
To connect with your electorate, you will need to work out your position on local ‘hot’ issues such as crime, traffic, the environment and schools.
You will need to know what the council is doing about these issues and how your opinion differs from other candidates. You will need this information for when you begin canvassing. The aim of canvassing is for people to see you are making a serious effort and for them to know who you are. As you go from door to door persuading people to vote for you, you will be challenged on your opinions and it is best that you have a planned idea of your dialogue on important issues.
You may also want to begin building a network of supporters who will help with your election campaign. It will be easier to campaign with some helpers who are willing to deliver leaflets, canvas on your behalf, put up posters in their windows, etc. The number of helpers and time they are willing to ‘donate’, may impact your canvas and leaflet delivery plans. It’s a good idea to think about your support network before ordering canvassing materials. To identify yourself or your volunteers, canvassers can wear black and white rosettes with the candidates name on the stickers centre.
Tip: Keep what is said on the doorstep very short and simple, otherwise you will never get around to everyone. You can always call people who would prefer not to engage in a long conversation back at another time.
2: Put yourself forward as a candidate
Tip: Once you’ve decided to put yourself forward as a candidate you need to be prepared to put in the hours, both during the campaign and after.
If you choose to put yourself forward as a candidate and want to stand as a representative of a group, residents association or small political party, you will need to contact their local office.
You will be able to find their contact details online, via the council’s electoral services department or via the LGA’s Independent Group Office. You can also contact the Returning Officer at your councils for the candidate registration forms and guidance for candidates. Your council’s electoral services department can tell you when elections are next taking place. They can also point you towards useful sources of information in the council and the steps you need to take to be formally nominated.
Tip: Hand your registration forms in at least seven days ahead of the deadline date to allow for any necessary changes and a resubmission to be made before the deadline.
3. Printing advice
Leaflets and letters are a key part of any campaign and guidance by the Electoral Commission is very clear on what needs to be included. If you have never dealt with commercial printers before, make sure you allow plenty of time to organise what you want. Prices will vary according to what type of paper you have, how many folds, if any, how many you want printed and the quality of the artwork you supply. Tip: The LGA Independent Group have a library of leaflets to give you an idea of what these might look like. 22 Your guide to becoming a councillor
4. Know your deadlines
Tip: Gather a diary of all the important dates leading up to Election Day to ensure you don’t miss any key deadlines. There are a lot of things that you will need to do, if you are to be successful in being elected as an Independent councillor. Leave nothing to chance. Plan ahead in plenty of time. Not having a party machine behind you means you need to be very organised. Do not think that you can leave anything to the last moment.
One way to do this is to have a count-down timetable including the deadline for nominations, printing timescales, postal voting dates and election day. Key dates will be informed by the Electoral Commission along with your own campaign goals.
5. Ensure you are officially nominated as the election date draws nearer
This means getting 10 people to sign your nomination papers (signatories must be registered electors in the ward where you wish to stand). These papers are available from your local council’s democratic services department.
You must also give your consent in writing to your nomination.
The council will also confirm dates for nomination papers and elections, as occasionally the pattern might change. However usually all the necessary documents should be submitted 19 working days before the day of the election. For more information, visit www.beacouncillor.org.uk or the Electoral Commission website www.electoralcommission.org.uk
6. Your Election Day checklist
By the time Election Day rolls around, you’ll have done so much work on your campaign between getting to know your voters, making your positions known, and organising campaign materials, it would be complete shame to forget any Election Day essentials.
- Maximise your social media channels to remind people to come out and vote for you.
- Are there any key locations, e.g. the local train station, for last minute leafletting, to remind people to vote?
- Is someone helping your known supporters who have mobility problems to get to the polling station?
- Are there posters in the houses on the way to the polling station?
- Do you have supporters at the polling station wearing rosettes? Are they aware of the rules?
- Remember that the busiest times at polling stations are before and after office hours.
- Are you planning to attend the count? Don’t forget to find out the details and confirm your attendance.
- Don’t forget to keep your energy up, it’s a long day!
The timescale
Most councillors are elected for four-year terms, but councils run different electoral cycles. To find out when local elections are due to place in your area, contact your local council or visit its website.
Ideally, you will need to begin campaigning at least a year before an election so that you can get to grips with the important local issues, meet as many voters as possible and raise your profile before the election takes place.
How the LGA Independent Group Office can help
If you want to be an Independent councillor or represent a smaller party, you can receive support from the LGA Independent Group office. They cannot provide direct help with election campaigning but can offer general advice and assistance as part of our guide to becoming a councillor.
Once elected, you can access their regular regional meetings, information and development seminars, bulletins, training and peer support.
Email the group office. We can share resources for prospective candidates and we can help to put you in touch with an elected councillor to discuss their experiences.
If you would like to hold a Be a Councillor event in your area for yourself and fellow prospective candidates please do get in touch. We can help fund activity that promotes the Be a Councillor campaign and its aims to increase diversity within councils to ensure they are as representative as possible.
Browse our website for more resources and information, in particular the links below. You can keep abreast of updates by following us on Twitter @LGA_Independent
Useful pages on the LGA Independent Group website:
Be a Councillor
www.local.gov.uk/lga-independent/our-work/be-councillor
Campaign Corner
www.local.gov.uk/lga-independent/our-work/campaign-corner
Resources
www.local.gov.uk/lga-independent/our-work/resources