Nomination papers

[timrollpickering]

Does anyone else think that five different sheets of paper for a council candidate nomination is overkill? Let alone nearly a dozen more information sheets?

And why does the Registered Nominating Officer or their delegate have to sign the authorisation certificate but the candidate has to apply for the party emblem?

With a political will to save resources more, perhaps elections could save a bit of paper by condensing the form?

[johnloony]

Mar 24, 2018 21:52:31 GMT timrollpickering said:

Does anyone else think that five different sheets of paper for a council candidate nomination is overkill? Let alone nearly a dozen more information sheets?

And why does the Registered Nominating Officer or their delegate have to sign the authorisation certificate but the candidate has to apply for the party emblem?

With a political will to save resources more, perhaps elections could save a bit of paper by condensing the form?

I have often thought it could be condensed a bit. It makes sense for it to be easier to choose a party emblem than to get an authorisation certificate; the authorisation is from the party leader (or nominating officer) to prove that the candidate is a member of the party, whereas the candidate merely chooses which of three logos to use. One time I used the shield for the general election and the top hat for the local election on the same day.

[Davıd Boothroyd]

It's only in the last twenty years the forms have multiplied. Back in 1998 I think there were only two - the nomination paper itself, and the declaration of acceptance of nomination.

[Chris from Brum]

Mar 24, 2018 22:43:40 GMT johnloony said:

One time I used ... the top hat for the local election on the same day.

In preference to the ship, the iron, the boot, the racing car or the little dog, presumably?

[J.G.Harston]

Mar 24, 2018 23:54:45 GMT Davıd Boothroyd said:

It's only in the last twenty years the forms have multiplied. Back in 1998 I think there were only two - the nomination paper itself, and the declaration of acceptance of nomination.

I first stood for election in 1996, and I agree, I seem to recall there were only two forms to return.

[overthehill]

A friend is standing for the Council and having signed their form, there are clearly too many.

On the Electoral Commission's form 1b) and the different qualifications to stand is it the case that if your only qualification for standing is being a registered elector, do you cease to be a councillor if elected and your electoral registration lapses? How would this be policed especially if forms are not retained and are not public documents in the normal sense of the word (i.e. you need to visit the Council office to inspect them for a time limited period?). Are there any cases of people lapsing as Councillors because of this. Or if I have misunderstood what's the point in the distinction? It seems bizarre to privilege working in an area over someone who has moved there, an moves out (especially as if the qualification to stand by virtue of employment doesn't seem to be affected if you move jobs and no longer have any such connection with the area!)

[gwynthegriff]

Mar 25, 2018 11:49:11 GMT overthehill said:

A friend is standing for the Council and having signed their form, there are clearly too many.

On the Electoral Commission's form 1b) and the different qualifications to stand is it the case that if your only qualification for standing is being a registered elector, do you cease to be a councillor if elected and your electoral registration lapses? How would this be policed especially if forms are not retained and are not public documents in the normal sense of the word (i.e. you need to visit the Council office to inspect them for a time limited period?). Are there any cases of people lapsing as Councillors because of this. Or if I have misunderstood what's the point in the distinction? It seems bizarre to privilege working in an area over someone who has moved there, an moves out (especially as if the qualification to stand by virtue of employment doesn't seem to be affected if you move jobs and no longer have any such connection with the area!)

The answer (to the second highlighted question) is yes.

In the case that I know of the answer to the first question highlighted is that a local resident challenged his right to continue in office.

The answer to your general question (are the rules stupid?) is - in my opinion - yes.

[Roger Harmer]

Mar 24, 2018 23:54:45 GMT Davıd Boothroyd said:

It's only in the last twenty years the forms have multiplied. Back in 1998 I think there were only two - the nomination paper itself, and the declaration of acceptance of nomination.

I think I remember three - these two and the appointment of agent. But agree it has (like many things) gone well over the top now. The people who add forms and documents seem to ignore the fact that adding more and more forms means people start not to read them properly, defeating the purpose of the exercise.

[The Bishop]

So what are the extra forms that have been added since my own single 1990s foray into electoral politics?

[overthehill]

Mar 25, 2018 12:30:59 GMT Roger Harmer said:

Mar 24, 2018 23:54:45 GMT Davıd Boothroyd said:

It's only in the last twenty years the forms have multiplied. Back in 1998 I think there were only two - the nomination paper itself, and the declaration of acceptance of nomination.

I think I remember three - these two and the appointment of agent. But agree it has (like many things) gone well over the top now. The people who add forms and documents seem to ignore the fact that adding more and more forms means people start not to read them properly, defeating the purpose of the exercise.

Fascinating - do you have a link?

[J.G.Harston]

Mar 25, 2018 11:49:11 GMT overthehill said:

A friend is standing for the Council and having signed their form, there are clearly too many.

On the Electoral Commission's form 1b) and the different qualifications to stand is it the case that if your only qualification for standing is being a registered elector, do you cease to be a councillor if elected and your electoral registration lapses?

No, 'cos once elected being elected counts as working in the district. However, it is bad practise to neglect to remain on the electoral register.
Edit: and surely, you'd also have at least one of the other qualifications - if you're on the electoral register surely you "own or have a license to occupy property in the district".

[J.G.Harston]

Mar 25, 2018 12:29:14 GMT gwynthegriff said:

Mar 25, 2018 11:49:11 GMT overthehill said:

A friend is standing for the Council and having signed their form, there are clearly too many.

On the Electoral Commission's form 1b) and the different qualifications to stand is it the case that if your only qualification for standing is being a registered elector, do you cease to be a councillor if elected and your electoral registration lapses? How would this be policed especially if forms are not retained and are not public documents in the normal sense of the word (i.e. you need to visit the Council office to inspect them for a time limited period?). Are there any cases of people lapsing as Councillors because of this. Or if I have misunderstood what's the point in the distinction? It seems bizarre to privilege working in an area over someone who has moved there, an moves out (especially as if the qualification to stand by virtue of employment doesn't seem to be affected if you move jobs and no longer have any such connection with the area!)

The answer (to the second highlighted question) is yes.

They would lapse if they cease to be on the electoral register and ceased to own or occupy property in the district and ceased to work in the district* - but if they are a councillor they haven't ceased to work in the district until they cease to be a councillor, but they don't cease to be a councillor until they cease to work in the district by ceasing to be a councillor.

*There's four, can't remember what the fourth one is.

[johnloony]

Mar 25, 2018 12:34:22 GMT The Bishop said:

So what are the extra forms that have been added since my own single 1990s foray into electoral politics?

PPERA 2000 means an extra form to say you're a party member, and one to choose the logo.

[peterl]

*There's four, can't remember what the fourth one is.

Living in the district is also a qualification.

[Crimson King]

but the crucial thing is that you have to have claimed the qualification on the form. If you only tick 'on the register' then you are disqualified if you come off it, even if you live and work in the area. OTOH if you qualify on eg occupying property and then cease to that doesn't disqualify you. Best advice - tick all that apply

[gwynthegriff]

Mar 25, 2018 21:41:41 GMT Crimson King said:

but the crucial thing is that you have to have claimed the qualification on the form. If you only tick 'on the register' then you are disqualified if you come off it, even if you live and work in the area. OTOH if you qualify on eg occupying property and then cease to that doesn't disqualify you. Best advice - tick all that apply

My advice to candidates is always "complete all those which apply".

[gwynthegriff]

Mar 25, 2018 14:08:26 GMT J.G.Harston said:

Mar 25, 2018 11:49:11 GMT overthehill said:

A friend is standing for the Council and having signed their form, there are clearly too many.

On the Electoral Commission's form 1b) and the different qualifications to stand is it the case that if your only qualification for standing is being a registered elector, do you cease to be a councillor if elected and your electoral registration lapses?

No, 'cos once elected being elected counts as working in the district. However, it is bad practise to neglect to remain on the electoral register.
Edit: and surely, you'd also have at least one of the other qualifications - if you're on the electoral register surely you "own or have a license to occupy property in the district".

But if you haven't completed those sections at the time of nomination you can't add them later.

[johnloony]

Mar 25, 2018 7:50:43 GMT Chris from Brum said:

Mar 24, 2018 22:43:40 GMT johnloony said:

One time I used ... the top hat for the local election on the same day.

In preference to the ship, the iron, the boot, the racing car or the little dog, presumably?

The three registered emblems of the OMRLP are the shield, the top hat and the megaphone.

[ColinJ]

Mar 26, 2018 2:57:10 GMT johnloony said:

Mar 25, 2018 7:50:43 GMT Chris from Brum said:

In preference to the ship, the iron, the boot, the racing car or the little dog, presumably?

The three registered emblems of the OMRLP are the shield, the top hat and the megaphone.

Instead of the shield, I would have thought that a tea pot was a more apt emblem for the OMRLP.

[greenchristian]

Mar 25, 2018 15:34:06 GMT johnloony said:

Mar 25, 2018 12:34:22 GMT The Bishop said:

So what are the extra forms that have been added since my own single 1990s foray into electoral politics?

PPERA 2000 means an extra form to say you're a party member, and one to choose the logo.

The form actually says that the party has authorised you to be their candidate. There is no legal requirement for party candidates to actually be members of the party for whom they are standing. I know of a number of cases in the past where Green Party paper candidates have been family members of the local activists, or members of green groups like Friends of the Earth but not actual party members.


Probably the most ridiculous waste of paper with the nomination forms are the extra pages of information, which our local Electoral Services department insists have to be handed in with the rest of the paperwork.

Anyway, for anybody wanting to know what paperwork is required, or what has changed since they stood several years ago, the nomination papers can be downloaded from the Electoral Commission Website (I've linked directly to the page from which you can download the nominations form).