To become a district councillor for your area you will have to stand as a candidate at the local elections. These are usually held each year in May.

Qualifications

To qualify as a candidate for elections to a local authority a person must be at least 18 years old on the day of nomination and must be either

• a British citizen, or
• a citizen of the Republic of Ireland, or
• a Commonwealth citizen, or
• a citizen of another member state of the European Union.

A prospective candidate must meet one of four qualifications:

• Registered elector for the local authority area or

For the whole of the previous 12 months have:

• lived in that area, or
• occupied, as owner or tenant, any land or premises in that area, or 
• for that 12 months have had their principal or only place of work in that area.

There is a range of disqualifications which can prevent a person from standing as candidate at a local election. Further details of such disqualifications are shown on the nomination forms.

Paperwork

Any person wishing to stand as a candidate will need to complete the following paperwork:

• Nomination Paper
• Consent to Nomination
• Appointment of Election Agent

If you are a candidate for a registered political party you will also need to submit:

• Certificate of Authorisation
• Request to use the Party Emblem

If you wish to receive a set of nomination papers then please contact the Electoral Services Office (see 'Also In'), and set of papers will be sent to you.

Further information

• See 'Related Links' to find out what councillors do
  
  

• If you are interested in becoming a councillor and wish to represent a political party, then you may wish to seek further advice from that party’s local organisation.
  
  
• If you are considering standing as an Independent Member, then further information about becoming a councillor is available on the Electoral Commission website. Please see 'Related Links'.