Fairfield By-Election 2024 Guidance for candidates and agents
Part 1: Nominations
Submission of nomination papers
When a candidate is validly nominated, they will receive a letter confirming their nomination, which must be retained by the candidate or agent. It is the candidate's responsibility to ensure that forms of nomination are delivered in time.
Form | Delivery Mmethod | Where and when | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Nomination Paper (including all supporting pages) Original signed version | By hand | Between 10am to 4pm Monday to Friday, on and from Wednesday 14 August until 4pm on Thursday 22 August 2024. To the Returning Officer, the Elections Office, Room 65, Municipal Buildings, Church Road, Stockton on Tees, TS18 1LD. | Details of the required subscribers on the nomination form should be checked against the electoral register published on 1 August 2024. If they do not appear on the register, they cannot subscribe a nomination form. An elector may not subscribe more nomination forms than there are vacancies in the ward. If a candidate wishes to have a description other than "independent", the description must be authorised by a registered political party. That may be either the registered party name or one of the descriptions the party has registered with the Electoral Commission. The description included on the nomination must be identical to the authorised description specified on that Certificate. |
Home Address Form Original signed version | By hand | As above | Legislation allows candidates to remove details of their home address from the ballot paper and statement of persons nominated at principal area elections and parish council elections. Where a candidate chooses to suppress their home address, the words address in Stockton-on-Tees will appear in place of their home address on the ballot paper and statement of persons nominated. |
Candidate Consent to Nomination Original signed version | By hand | As above | The consent form should be signed and dated by the candidate on or within one month before the last day for delivery of nomination papers. |
Certificate of Authorisation Original signed version | By hand or post | As above or by post | A certificate, signed by an authorised officer (and being an original document), can authorise one or more candidates, whose details may be attached to the certificate. A separate signed certificate/ authorisation is not required for each candidate. A party may authorise all Candidates on one certificate. As long as a person who has signed a certificate claim that they have been authorised to do so by the registered Nominating Officer, the certificate should be taken at face value. However, it would be helpful if Nominating Officers' delegated authorities were up to date and provided to the Returning Officer. Delegated authorities may be sent by post or electronically. |
Request for Party Emblem Original signed version | By hand or post | As above or by post | If the party has more than one registered emblem, the candidate should specify which one they want to use. |
Notification of Election Agent Original signed version | By hand or post | As above or by post | A candidate may appoint themselves as their election agent. Also, if no agent is appointed by the deadline for withdrawals, the candidate is deemed to be their own election agent. Where a candidate acts as their own election agent, unless they provide an office address, their home address as provided on the home address form will be published on the notice of election agents. If that address is outside the relevant area, the office address is deemed to be the address of their proposer (i.e. the first subscriber on the nomination form). This is the case even where they have chosen to withhold their home address from the statement of persons nominated and ballot papers. |
Nomination forms should be checked carefully for mistakes. Mistakes may invalidate the nomination. Please complete your nomination papers as early as you can. Arrangements can then be made through the Elections Office to provide an informal check of the nomination papers.
There are no restrictions on who can deliver the nomination papers. They should, however, be delivered by someone who is trusted, and it is your responsibility to ensure that they are delivered in time. The Returning Officer will send you a letter once your nomination is valid, which must be retained by the candidate or agent.
It is an offence knowingly to make a false statement on any of the nomination papers. Alleged offences will be referred to the Police if complaints are received by the Returning Officer.
Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
You are responsible for looking after the personal data of the people who support your nomination. You are the data controller for this information and when collecting subscriber information, you should point out what the information will be used for, how personal data will be processed and how it will be kept secure.
You should make it clear to the people who agree to support your nomination, that their names and addresses will form part of the public record. By law their details must be published and made available. The lawful basis to collect the information in this form is set out in Representation of the People Act 1983 and associated regulations and GDPR Article 6 (1) (e) Processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest and exercise of official authority. If individuals do not agree to this then they should not support the nomination.
You should also explain that the information will be shared with the Returning Officer. For further information on data protection and data processing you should refer to the Returning Officer's privacy notice on our website.
Contact Details
Returning Officer: returning.officer@stockton.gov.uk - for election enquiries relating to how to stand in the election.
Electoral Helpline: 01642 526196 or electoral@stockton.gov.uk for information on how to register for a postal vote or proxy vote or to enquire about polling station locations.
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