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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For the county borough council election, you’ll need to fill in a nomination form – available here (pdf) – in either English or Welsh. You’ll need to confirm all of the qualifying details.
You’ll also need to decide which ward you want to stand in. You don’t need to live in a particular ward to stand there. You can also apply to stand in more than one ward but will need to withdraw from all but one by the close of nominations.
If you want to stand for a registered political party, the nominating officer of the party will need to confirm your candidacy by signing a certificate of authorisation (included with the nomination form).
Most of the political parties will likely have chosen their candidates by now, but they might not be running in every ward/with a full slate so some spots could still be available. It’s best to check with party officials.
Of course, you don’t need to be a member of a political party or organised group to stand. If you want to stand as an Independent candidate you can do so by describing yourself as “Independent” and/or “Annibynnol”.
You can also choose whether or not to appoint someone as an election agent to manage and administer the campaign on your behalf. If you choose not to, you’ll need to confirm that you’re acting as your own election agent.
The nomination form will need to be signed and addressed by a single witness – who can be pretty much anybody. You don’t need to get a minimum number of signatures and you don’t need to pay an election deposit.
In another change, you can choose whether or not you want your home address published on official documents relating to the election.
The nomination form (and certificate of authorisation if you’re standing for a party) need to be delivered either by post or by hand to the Civic Offices in Bridgend or online as an email attachment (email: nominations@bridgend.gov.uk) by 4 pm on Tuesday 5th April 2022.
If you want to withdraw from the election, you’ll need to fill in a withdrawal notice and submitted to the Returning Officer by hand or online (same as the nomination paper) again by 4 pm on 5th April 2022.
