Nominations are now open for candidates seeking to run in this May’s local elections.
There are two sets of elections taking place. The first is to Bridgend County Borough Council (BCBC) local authority, while the second set of elections is to Bridgend’s twenty town and community councils.
Full guidance on standing in the local authority/county borough elections is available from the Electoral Commission. There’s similar guidance for anyone seeking to stand in the town & community council elections.
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Before anything else, you’ll need to check that you can stand in the first place. The rules in Wales have changed slightly following the Local Government & Elections Act 2021.
To run for the county borough elections, you will need to be:
- Aged 18 or over.
- A British, Commonwealth, EU or other qualifying foreign citizen (i.e. granted leave to remain).
- Registered as a local elector for the Bridgend local authority, or have permanently lived, worked or owned any property or land in the Bridgend local authority for at least 12 months before polling day.
Some circumstances automatically disqualify you. This includes bankruptcy, serving a prison sentence of three months or more in the last five years, being convicted of election-related offences or being on the sex offenders register.
Employees of a local authority – which includes teachers, for example – can now run in the local authority they’re employed by but will have to resign before accepting their office (if elected).
The exceptions to this rule are “politically sensitive roles” such as the Chief Executive and the most senior statutory council officers and their deputies. The advice is to check with the council’s HR department to determine if you are eligible.
