Guidance for (Acting) Returning Officers administering a UK Parliamentary election in Great Britain

Decisions on objections

You should consider any objection that you receive during the allowed time for objections to be made. 

You are only entitled to hold a nomination invalid on the following grounds:1  

  • that the particulars of the candidate or subscribers are not as required by law
  • that the form is not subscribed as required
  • that the candidate is disqualified under the Representation of the People Act 1981 on the grounds that they are imprisoned and serving a sentence of a year or more
  • that the person is subject to a disqualification order under section 30 of the Elections Act 2022   

You should not undertake any investigation or hear any representations in support of or challenging any fact or statement given on the nomination or home address form. 

You must decide any objection as soon as practicable after it is made and in any event within 24 hours after the close of nominations.2  

You should limit the objection process to the nomination and home address forms. 

Where you decide that, as a result of an objection, a nomination you have already determined should have been ruled invalid, you must:

  • show on the statement of persons nominated any candidate who is no longer validly nominated 
  • the reason why they no longer stand nominated 

You should inform the candidate as appropriate.3    

For more information see section Determining a nomination to be invalid.
 

Last updated: 19 December 2023