Becoming a Councillor

Councillors are elected by residents’ votes during local elections and must stand for re-election every four years. If a Councillor vacancy occurs between local elections then Councillors may be co-opted i.e. nominated and voted for by existing members of the Council. However, even co-opted Councillors have to stand for election at the next local election – this democratic approach ensures that residents have the ultimate say in who represents them.

Anyone can nominate someone or put themselves forward for a Councillor vacancy so long as the candidate meets certain criteria (see below). During an election, candidates must submit a nomination paper (signed by two other electors, a nominator and a proposer) along with a document confirming that they consent to be nominated.

All candidates must:

• be a UK or Commonwealth citizen, or;
• be a citizen of any member state of the European Union;
• be a least 18 years old.

To be eligible to stand for an election for Helmdon you must:

• be an elector of the parish, or;
• for the whole of the previous 12 months have occupied (as owner or tenant) land or other premises in the parish, or;
• during the previous 12 months have worked in the parish (as your principal or only place of work), or;
• for the whole of the previous 12 months lived in the parish or within three miles of the parish boundary.

By becoming a Councillor you become someone your community can look to for help, guidance and support – a community leader with the power to influence decisions for the benefit of the people you serve. Seeing your community change for the better as a result of decisions you have helped make can be very rewarding.