Important briefings for potential local election candidates

Cheshire West and Chester’s Democratic Services will be hosting a number of briefing sessions for potential borough, town and parish council candidates.

There will be three sessions relating to borough council elections along with two separate sessions for town and parish council elections held at locations across the borough during March.

This is due to elections being held on Thursday 4 May for all 70 borough council seats and for all contested town and parish councils in Cheshire West. Voter ID will be required for the first time to cast your vote in person. You do not need photo ID to vote by post.

Nominations for the elections close at 4pm on 4 April, meaning all paperwork and other documentation must be submitted and approved by that date. 

Anyone seeking to stand as a candidate in the May elections is urged to attend one of these briefing sessions:

• Monday 6^th March, Council Chamber, Wyvern House, The Drumber,  Winsford, CW7 1AH
• Tuesday 7^th March, Ellesmere Port Library Meeting Room, Civic Way, Ellesmere Port, CH65 0BG
• Wednesday 8^th March, The Turf Room, Chester Racecourse, New Crane Road, Chester CH1 2LY

All briefing sessions start at 5.00 pm for Town and Parish Clerks followed by Candidates and Agents briefing at 6pm for Candidate except for the briefing on Tuesday 7^th March, there will be no town and parish clerks briefing. 

Returning Officer Andrew Lewis, who is chief executive of Cheshire West and Chester Council, said: “I would urge all potential candidates to attend one of these briefing sessions as there will be important information we need to give relating to these elections, the process for nominations, protocols and legal rules. Nomination packs and other relevant paperwork will also be available for collection at the briefings.

“It is important that all paperwork for candidates is completed correctly, prior to the deadline for nominations, to avoid any difficulties that could prevent a candidate from standing. 

“The Council’s friendly and efficient democratic services staff will be able to offer advice to candidates on the paperwork that they need to complete.”

The briefings will include important information including:

• The role of borough, town and parish councillors and the protocols they will need to follow once elected; 
• Key changes to election law around voter ID requirements;
• Timetables of key election events and deadlines;
• Nomination arrangements, timings and how to complete nominations;
• Details of the timing of delivery of polling cards;
• Details for postal votes and proxy votes;
• Polling day arrangements;
• Ballot verification and count details;
• Candidate expenses guidance; and 
• Campaign ‘Dos and Don’ts'.

Due to limited space, it is important that potential candidates contact Cheshire West’s Council’s Democratic Services to reserve their place as soon as possible. They should phone:

01244 977084

...or email: 

elreg@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk

This will enable the team to ensure they have the relevant documents available for you to collect at the briefings.

Anyone who wants to have their say in the local elections in May must also be registered to vote. It only takes five minutes to register online at: 

gov.uk website.  

Anyone registered to vote, who does not have one of the accepted forms of ID required by the new government legislation, can apply for:

free ID online via the gov.uk website 

...before 25 April, or by completing a paper form.