Guidance for Returning Officers administering Local Government Elections in England

Providing notice of the result

You must give public notice of the name of each candidate elected, the total number of votes given to each candidate and the number of rejected ballot papers under each heading.1

When a candidate has used their commonly used name to stand in the election, you should use both their full name and the commonly used name when declaring the result.

You should ensure that the notice of results is made available to all interested parties as soon as possible, including by publishing it on your local authority’s website.

You must also inform the Proper Officer of the council of the name of each candidate elected. 

Providing notice of the result

At parish council elections you must inform the Proper Officer of the district in which the parish situated of the name of each candidate elected. You must also inform the Proper Officer of the parish council.2

If there is no Proper Officer of the parish council, you should give notice to the chair of the parish council.

Last updated: 13 December 2022