Guidance for Returning Officers administering Local Government Elections in England

Print full guidance

After the close of nominations

After the close of nominations you must publish a statement of persons nominated and a notice of poll.1   

For details on what these notices should contain and steps you should take when proofing, see our guidance on production of notices.

Nomination in more than one electoral area

A candidate may submit nomination papers for more than one ward of the same local government area. However, they must have withdrawn from all of those wards except one before the deadline for withdrawals. If they do not withdraw from all but one ward, they will be deemed to have withdrawn from all of the wards. 

A candidate may stand and be elected to both a parish council and a principal area  council for the same or a different area. 

A candidate may stand in and be elected as local authority mayor for any number of different local authorities.

Nomination as combined authority mayor and as a councillor for a constituent council

A person cannot sit as both a combined authority mayor and a local councillor of a constituent council. If they are already an elected councillor and are subsequently elected as mayor, their office as councillor will become vacant.2

Nomination as combined county authority mayor and as a councillor for a constituent council

A person cannot sit as both a combined county authority mayor and a local councillor of a constituent council. If they are already an elected councillor and are subsequently elected as mayor, their office as councillor will become vacant.3

 

Uncontested elections

The election is uncontested if either: 

  • you do not receive enough valid nominations to fill the vacant seat(s)
  • you only receive enough valid nominations to fill the vacant seat(s) 
  • all valid nominations are properly withdrawn by the deadline except enough to fill the vacant seat(s)

If the election is uncontested, you must as soon as practicable declare the validly nominated candidate(s) elected.4 You must give the names of the elected candidates to the Proper Officer of the council for which the election is held, and give public notice of the names of each elected person.

No poll is necessary.

At a parish council election, you are required to give notice of the name of each person elected to the Proper Officer of the parish council and also to the Proper Officer of the council of the principal area in which the parish is situated.

Where there are not enough validly nominated candidates at the ordinary election of a parish council, those candidates who are validly nominated are elected.

If the parish council is quorate, i.e. at least three and at least one-third of the total seats on the council are filled, the elected councillors may co-opt councillors to fill the remaining seats.

If, however, after a period of 35 working days from the date that would have been the polling day if the election had been contested, the parish council has not filled all of the vacancies by co-option, the relevant principal area council (i.e. the district or unitary council) may:

  • by order make direct appointments of people as parish councillors
  • do anything necessary or expedient for the proper holding of the parish meeting and properly constituting the council
  • direct that a new election is held to fill the remaining vacancies, and fix the date of that election. 

The principal area council must not exercise this power within 35 working days of the ordinary date of election, and may allow a parish council a period longer than 35 working days to fill vacancies by co-option. 

Last updated: 5 April 2024