Guidance for Candidates at Parish council elections in England

If you have been authorised by a political party to use the party name or a registered description on the ballot paper, you can also request that one of the party's official emblems is printed on the ballot paper next to your name.1

You must make the request for an emblem in writing and deliver it to the Returning Officer.2 The request must be received by the Returning Officer by 4pm, 19 working days before the poll.3

A party can register up to three emblems. You may want to check with your party (e.g. with the Nominating Officer or someone authorised to act on their behalf) which emblem to use. Make sure you request a current emblem.

Candidates standing on behalf of two or more registered parties and using a joint description can use an emblem that has been registered by one of the relevant parties.4 The request must be made in writing and delivered to the RO5 by the close of nominations, i.e. by 4pm, 19 working days before the poll.6 The RO will supply you with a form you can use to make this request or, alternatively, you can use the emblem request form produced by the Commission.

The request should state both the name of the political party and the description of the emblem to be used, as listed on the Commission’s online register of political parties. Registered emblems cannot be varied in any way.