Because of the responsibilities attached to the role of an election agent you should consider carefully who you are going to appoint and make sure that they understand their obligations. You can be your own agent if you wish.
You, or someone on your behalf, must declare in writing the name, address and office address of your election agent to the Returning Officer by 4pm on the 19th working day before the poll.1
The declaration should be signed by you (or the person making the declaration on your behalf) and by the agent to show their acceptance of the appointment. The original signed version must be submitted in person or by post, but may not be submitted by fax, e-mail or other electronic means.
It is helpful to also provide a contact telephone number and email address for your election agent so that the Returning Officer can easily contact them.
The Returning Officer may provide a declaration form, or you could use the election agent declaration form produced by the Commission. If you do not appoint someone else as your agent by the deadline, you will automatically become your own agent.2
Your agent must have an office address to which any legal notices can be delivered and therefore must be a physical address – PO boxes or similar mailboxes cannot be used.3
within the same local government area where the election is being held, or
within the UK Parliamentary constituency or one of the constituencies included in the local government area, or
in a Welsh county borough which adjoins the local government area, or
in a London borough or district which adjoins the local government area
The local government area for a unitary authority is the unitary area. For a county, district or borough it is the area of that county, district or borough.
The agent's office address will often be their home address, but it could be an office set up for the election.
If you act as your own election agent, unless you provide an office address, your home address as provided on the home address form will be published on the notice of election agents.5
If that address is outside the permitted area, the office address is deemed to be the address of your proposer (i.e. the first subscriber on your nomination form).
This is the case even where you have chosen to withhold your home address from the statement of persons nominated and ballot paper.
If an agent dies or becomes incapable of acting, you may appoint another agent in their place by submitting the relevant appointment form to the Returning Officer.6
Any new appointment in these circumstances must be made without delay.