Guidance for Returning Officers administering a Senedd election

You are responsible for all aspects of the nomination process at a Senedd election.1 It is important to raise awareness of the availability of information for those wishing to stand for election through the provision of briefings and online or printed guidance, especially for those who have not made direct contact with you or your staff.

When providing information or briefing sessions about the nomination process you should ensure you include information on:

• relevant deadlines
• submission rules - including electronic delivery
• the use of commonly used names
• the completion of nomination papers including providing statement of party membership
• the use of party names, descriptions and emblems
• the methods for paying the deposit
• any informal checking process arrangements you have in place

You should provide information about how the process for delivering nomination papers electronically will work in practice in order to support the successful delivery of electronic nominations and manage expectations. You could provide the information from the electronic delivery statement and emphasise the importance of delivering only to the email address or online system provided and the risks of not doing so. You could also outline the arrangements for carrying out informal checks for nominations delivered electronically and the process for submitting election addresses to the EMB for publication.

Questions of eligibility or disqualification are for the candidate only and you should not give advice on such matters. The candidate should be directed to our guidance for candidates and agents in the first instance. Should they have any further concerns, you should advise them to seek their own legal advice.

Nomination packs

You should prepare nomination packs for political parties and individual candidates.

Nomination packs for political parties

The nomination pack for political parties should contain:

• a nomination form containing a certificate of authorisation to allow party list candidates to stand on behalf of a party and to request the use of an emblem
• a home address form
• a consent to nomination form
• a form for the Nominating Officer (or someone on their behalf) to give notice of appointment of an election agent
• forms for the election agent to give notice of appointment of sub-agents
• forms for the appointment of polling agents, postal voting agents and counting agents
• details of how the deposit should be paid, including information on acceptable methods of payment
• written guidance for candidates and agents covering key aspects of the electoral process, including the qualifications and disqualifications for election, the nominations process, campaigning dos and don’ts, accessing electoral proceedings and what happens after the declaration of the result
• details of any local arrangements, such as the arrangements for the opening of postal votes, the poll and the count
• a copy of the Code of Conduct for Campaigners at Scottish Parliament, Senedd Cymru, Scottish council and Welsh local elections
• details of how to obtain a copy of the electoral register and the absent voters’ lists, and forms to make such requests with information on where to send these request forms to. You should highlight that the information contained in the electoral register and absent voting lists may only be used in accordance with the Representation of the People Regulations 2001 and in accordance with data protection legislation
• any other relevant information

For more information see our guidance for candidates and agents at a Senedd election.

We have also produced a set of nomination papers that you can include in your nomination packs.

You can find nomination packs in the planning section of our resource page.

Nomination packs for individual candidates

The nomination pack for individual candidates should contain:

• a nomination form
• a home address form
• a consent to nomination form
• a form for the candidate (or someone on their behalf) to give notice of appointment of an election agent
• forms for the election agent to give notice of the appointment of sub-agents
• forms for the appointment of polling agents, postal voting agents and counting agents
• details of how the deposit should be paid, including information on acceptable methods of payment
• written guidance for candidates and agents covering key aspects of the electoral process, including the qualifications and disqualifications for election, the nominations process, campaigning dos and don’ts, accessing electoral proceedings and what happens after the declaration of the result
• a copy of the Code of Conduct for Campaigners at Scottish Parliament, Senedd Cymru, Scottish council and Welsh local elections
• details of any local arrangements, such as the arrangements for the opening of postal votes, the poll and the count
• details of how to obtain a copy of the electoral register and the absent voters’ lists, and forms to make such requests with information on where to send these request forms to. You should highlight that the information contained in the electoral register and absent voting lists may only be used in accordance with the Representation of the People Regulations 2001 and in accordance with data protection legislation
• any other relevant information

You can find nomination packs in the planning section of our resource page.