Standing For Election As A Basildon Borough Councillor

Candidate and Agent Briefing

We will be holding an online briefing for any prospective candidates and agents on Thursday, 7 March 2024. This will be on Microsoft Teams and will start at 6.30pm.

Please contact elections@basildon.gov.uk (opens new window) to ask for an invite to this briefing. We do encourage any person wishing to stand as an independent or as a party candidate to attend this briefing as it will cover the nomination process and many other topics relating to the election taking place on Thursday, 2 May 2024.

Information and guidance for those who wish to consider standing for election as a Basildon Borough Councillor for a four year term of office.

The office of Borough Councillor is a highly responsible position. It involves carrying out a range of duties in service to the people of Basildon Borough and can lead to personal fulfillment and a real sense of achievement.

Becoming a Borough Councillor is an opportunity for you to make a real difference to the way Basildon Council is run. Councillors decide on how the Council's budget should be spent and make important policy decisions about the provision of services and how the Council should carry out its functions and responsibilities. Borough Councillors also play a crucial role in the communities they represent and they make decisions which affect the lives of everyone in the Borough.

Eligibility to stand for election

To become a Borough Councillor, you must win a seat at a local borough election.

Each Borough Councillor is elected to represent the people who live within a geographical area known as a 'ward'. There are 14 wards within the boundaries of Basildon Borough. Each ward has an allocation of three Councillors, giving a total of 42 Borough Councillors. For further information on the council's political structure and associated decision making processes, see How Basildon Borough Council works.

The main political parties select their own candidates for local borough elections however, you do not have to be a member of a political party in order to stand for election.

Anyone who meets the following eligibility criteria can stand as a ward candidate for election as a Borough Councillor.

Borough Election candidates must be:

over the age of 18.

Borough Election candidates must be one of the following:

be a British Citizen.
a Commonwealth Citizen.
a citizen of the Republic of Ireland.
a citizen of another Member State of the European Union.

Borough Election candidates must also meet at least one of the following conditions:

Be registered to vote in the Basildon Borough.
Have resided in the Basildon Borough during the 12 months preceding the day on which nominated as a candidate.
Have occupied, as owner or tenant, any land or other premises within the boundary of the Basildon Borough, during the whole of the twelve months preceding the day on which nominated as a candidate.
Have attended, in the twelve months preceding the day on which nominated as a candidate, a principal or only place of work within the Basildon Borough.

Not eligible to stand for election

The following persons will NOT be eligible to stand for election as a Borough Councillor:

a person holding a paid office within Basildon Borough Council.
a person declared bankrupt.
a person who has been sentenced to a term of imprisonment (whether suspended or not) of not less than three months (without the option of a paying a fine), during the five years preceding the election.
a person disqualified under any enactment relating to corrupt or illegal practices.
a person holding a politically restricted post under a local authority as laid down in the Local Government and Housing Act 1989.

Election Candidate nominations and costs

Every candidate must be nominated on an election Nomination Paper. This involves completing and submitting various Nomination Forms, all of which can be downloaded several weeks before any forthcoming Borough Council election.

IMPORTANT: If you plan to stand as a candidate in a forthcoming election but are uncertain or unfamiliar with the Nomination process, we recommend you contact our Electoral Services team who will arrange a meeting to give you proper guidance on completing and submitting the Nomination forms pack. See contact details at bottom of page.

Candidates must bear all costs when they stand for election.

Financial support for disabled candidates

The Access to Elected Office Fund provides grants of between £250 and £40,000 to help disabled candidates meet the additional costs they face compared to a non-disabled person in seeking election (for example, additional travel expenses, or carer support). Funding is available for candidates from all registered political parties, as well as independent candidates (who must demonstrate seriousness of intent in seeking election). For further information see: GOV.UK - Access To Elected Office Fund (opens new window).

Further information and enquiries

For further information and enquiries please contact the Electoral Services Team.