Standing as a candidate for local elections
Today, there are 10,000 local councils in England, with 100,000 councillors. They are the
champions of their communities and give residents a voice on the decisions the council makes.
Elections are held for District and Parish/Town Councillors every four years where all seats will be
re-elected at the same time. The next scheduled all-out District & Parish elections in the Dover
local authority area are due to take place on Thursday 4 May 2023.
If you have ideas that you believe should be heard in order to benefit your local community, then
why not help make those changes you want to see by standing for election on your local district,
town or parish council. Someone has to make change happen – why not you?
You don’t need to be a member of any political party – but you do need a genuine interest in what
happens in your area. Councillors are people just like you, from all walks of life, ages and
backgrounds.
This is the perfect opportunity for those undiscovered community champions who are passionate
about their local area to put themselves forward to be elected as a councillor.
An integral part of the work of local councils is the job councillors do: engaging with local people,
groups and businesses to find out their needs; making decisions on the services and projects the
council should take forward; and getting involved to ensure services are meeting the community’s
needs.
Do you want to improve the quality of life for your fellow residents? Why not stand for election? Be
a local champion!
Find out more
Information on the role of a District Councillor can be found on our webpage here:
https://www.dover.gov.uk/Council–Democracy/Councillors,-Decisions–Meetings/ProspectiveCouncillor-Event-2022.aspx
Information on the role of town and parish councillors can be found on the following website from
the National Association of Local Councils (NALC):
https://www.nalc.gov.uk/our-work/local-elections#what-do-local-councils-and-councillors-do
The Electoral Commission is hosting a pre-election webinar for candidates and their agents taking
part in elections in England on 4 May.
The webinar will take place virtually on Tuesday 7 March 2023 at 12pm – 1pm.
The webinar provides an opportunity to gain essential information on the nomination process and
the spending and donation rules, including information on:
• Standing for election
• The nominations process
• When the spending rules apply
• How much you can spend
• Notional spending rules
• Who you can accept donations from
• What you need to report after the election
There will also be a chance to ask questions. If you have a specific question in advance, or topic
you would like the Commission to speak about, please do get in touch before the event.
To confirm attendance or ask a question in advance, please email Stuart Butler on
sbutler@electoralcommission.org.uk
Prospective candidate events at DDC
The Elections Team at Dover District Council will be running prospective candidate events at
10:00 am on Wednesday 15 March 2023 and 6:30 pm on Thursday 16 March 2023 at the Council
Offices in Whitfield. Topics covered will include practical information on how to complete your
nomination papers and key dates to be aware of in the election timetable.
Pre-booking your place is essential, as spaces are limited.
You can book now by emailing elections@dover.gov.uk or by calling the Elections Team on 01304
872344.
You will need to give your name and contact details, and preferably the details of the area that you
are interested in standing as a candidate so that we can prepare a nomination pack(s) for you to
collect at the event.
Nomination Packs containing all the required forms will be available to collect after each event.
Further information on standing as a candidate can be found on our webpage here:
https://www.dover.gov.uk/Council–Democracy/Elections/Standing-as-a-Candidate.aspx
For more information, please contact the Electoral Services Team at elections@dover.gov.uk
or call 01304-872344