Guidance for Returning Officers administering Local Government Elections in England

The deadline for the delivery of nominations for a local government election is 4pm on the nineteenth working day before the poll. 

This deadline cannot be moved or extended for any reason. 

You must:

• decide when you will be accepting the delivery of nomination papers
• include these times on the notice of election

You can accept nominations as soon as the notice of election is published. This allows candidates more time to submit their nomination papers.

Alternatively, you can wait until the day after the publication of the notice to start accepting nominations.

A nomination paper is considered delivered when it is delivered by hand at the place specified in the notice of election.

For party candidates wishing to use a description and/or an emblem, you must also receive a certificate of authorisation and an emblem request form as applicable during the time specified for the delivery of nomination papers. 

No appointment is required for the delivery of nomination papers but you could offer and encourage appointments as a way to manage the potential volume of nominations that you will receive.

The candidate is responsible for making sure that their nomination papers are delivered in the correct way and by the required deadline. If a completed set of nomination papers have not been delivered by that time, the nomination is treated as not having been made which means that you cannot rule the nomination valid or invalid.