Guidance for Returning Officers administering Local Government Elections in England

Only certain people are entitled to inspect home address forms.

These people are:

• any candidate standing in the same electoral area
• the election agent of any candidate standing in the same electoral area (or, if the candidate is acting as their own agent, any person nominated by them)
• the proposer or seconder of any person standing nominated as a candidate in the same electoral area

Home address forms should be kept securely and are only made available for inspection during office hours on any working day from the close of nominations up to and including the day before polling day.

Home address forms should be inspected under supervision. Taking extracts of the home address forms, or copies of them, is not permitted.1 Once the inspection period has passed, the home address forms are not open to inspection.

Home address forms must be kept securely and stored for a period of 35 working days after the result has been declared. They must be securely destroyed on the next working day after the 35 working day period.

If an election petition relating to the election is presented within the 35 working days, the home address forms must be kept securely until the conclusion of the petition proceedings, including any appeal from such proceedings.

Home address forms must be securely destroyed as soon as is practicable following the conclusion of the election petition proceedings or appeal.