Who Can Stand as a Council Candidate?

On the day you are nominated as a candidate and also on the day of election, you must be:

• Eighteen or over
• A citizen of the UK, Commonwealth, Republic of Ireland or another member state of the European Union

And you must meet at least one of the four following qualifications:

• You are registered as a Local Government elector for the council area in which you want to be a candidate
• For 12 months before the date of nomination you have been the owner or tenant of any land or premises in the council area
• During the past 12 months your main or only place of work has been in the council area
• You have lived in the council area for the whole of the last 12 months

You cannot be a Councillor if:

• You are employed by the council or hold a paid office in the council or a joint board or committee (although you can stand for election while employed by the council as long as you resign your post if successfully elected. You may also be a Councillor in one council area and employed by another)
• You currently have your estate sequestered in Scotland, are subject to a bankruptcy restrictions order in England and Wales or are bankrupt in Northern Ireland
• During the five years before the date of the election, you have been sentenced to a prison term of three months or more (including a suspended sentence) without the option of a fine
• You have been disqualified under Part III of the Representation of the People Act 1983