Transcript PowerPoint presentation title

Candidates and agents
Information
Elections to the National Assembly for Wales – 5 May 2011
Topics
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election timetable
qualifications
disqualifications
nominations
agents
postal votes
day of poll
counting of votes
candidates expenses
contacts
Election
Timetable
Publication of Notice of Election
Not later than
– 25 March
2011
Nominations Commence
Close of nominations
Noon – 4 April
2011
Deadline for withdrawal of candidature
Noon – 6 April
2011
Notification of appointment of election
agents
Noon – 6 April
2011
Publication of statement of persons and
parties nominated and publication of
notice of poll
Noon – 8 April
2011
Deadline for new postal votes/changes to
postal or proxy votes
5pm – 14 April
2011
Election
timetable
(cont’d)
Registration deadline
14 April 2011
Deadline for applications for new proxy
votes
5pm – 21 April
2011
Appointment of counting and polling
agents
26 April 2011
Polling day
5 May – 7am to
10pm
Deadline to apply for new applications to
vote by proxy on grounds of medical
emergency
5pm – 5 May
2011
Replacement for lost/spoilt postal votes
ends
5pm – 5 May
2011
Alterations to register to correct clerical
error
9pm – 5 May
2011
Qualifications
• To qualify as a candidate at a
constituency or a regional election you
must: (on the day you are nominated and
on polling day):
– be at least 18 years of age
– be a British citizen, an eligible
Commonwealth citizen or a Citizen of
any other member state of the
European Union
Disqualifications
• You cannot be a candidate if at the time of your
nomination or election you:
– are a judge
– are a civil servant
– are a member of the armed forces
– are a member of a police force
– are a member of a legislature of any country or
territory outside the Commonwealth (other than
Ireland)
– are employed as a member of the staff of the
Assembly
– hold an office that is mentioned in The National
Assembly for Wales (Disqualification) Order 2010
– are the subject of a bankruptcy restrictions order or
interim order
Nominations
• Nomination papers must be submitted to the
relevant Returning Officer by noon on Monday 4
April 2011
• [insert details of when and where they can be
delivered]
• Who can deliver nomination papers?
- For a constituency election, nomination papers
must be delivered by yourself, your party’s
Nominating Officer or your election agent
- For an individual candidate standing at the
regional election, nomination papers must be
delivered by yourself or your election agent
- For a party list standing at the regional election,
must be delivered by the party’s Nominating
Officer
The deposit
• Each candidate or regional list must deposit £500
with the relevant RO so that the nomination is
valid.
• Can be made using legal tender (cash) or a
banker’s draft or building society cheque
• [The RO may also accept a deposit made by a
debit or credit card or an electronic funds transfer.]
• The person making the deposit must give the RO
their name and address
• If the candidate or party obtained more than 5% of
the valid votes cast in the constituency or region,
the deposit will be returned
• The deposit will also be returned if a regional list or
individual regional candidate is allocated a seat
Nomination
form –
Constituency
candidates
If you wish to stand as a constituency
candidate, your form must contain:
• your full name
• your full home address
• the signature of one subscriber (this can be
your signature, or the signature of someone
else)
You also have an option to include on the form:
• a registered party description (if authorised to
use one)
• any names you commonly use that are
different from your actual name (and which
you wish to appear on the ballot paper).
Nomination
form –
Individual
regional
candidates
If you wish to stand as an individual
regional candidate, your form must contain:
• your full name
• your full home address
• the signature of one subscriber (this can
be your signature, or the signature of
someone else)
You also have an option to include on the
form any names you commonly use that are
different from your actual name (and which
you wish to appear on the ballot paper).
Nomination
form –
Nominating a
party list at the
regional
election must
contain
• the full name of each candidate on the list in the
order they are to be elected, up to a maximum of
12 candidates
• the full home address of each candidate
• the name and signature of the party’s Nominating
Officer or a person authorised by them to
nominate the list
• the name of the party and the registered party
description to appear on the ballot paper (if
applicable)
• commonly used names for each candidate (if
applicable)
• the signature of one subscriber (this can the
signature of a party list candidate, or the signature
of someone else
Descriptions
• Under certain circumstances you can have a description that
will appear under your details on the ballot paper.
• You have four options regarding using a description:
1. Leave the description part of the form blank so that no
description will appear on the ballot paper (although this will
mean that you will not be able to use an emblem if you are
standing on behalf of a party)
2. Use the description 'Independent‘ or ‘Annibynnol’
3. If you are representing a registered political party, you can use
the party name as registered with the Commission
4. If you are representing a registered political party, you can use
one of the party's descriptions registered with the Commission
• If you are standing for a political party and choosing options 3
or 4, you must submit a certificate of authorisation showing that
you have the authorisation of the party's Nominating Officer (or
someone appointed to act on their behalf).
• The certificate must be submitted to the relevant RP by noon
on 4 April 2011
Joint
descriptions
• As a constituency candidate, you can
stand for election for more than one party
and use a joint description
• You will need a certificate of authorisation
from the Nominating Officers for both
parties and the description must be
registered as a joint description by both
parties.
• A regional list cannot be submitted jointly
by two political parties.
Nominations – • Must include:
– name and address details
consent to
– confirm that you are not disqualified
nomination
from being a Member of the National
Assembly for Wales
– date of birth must be included
– candidate must sign and date form
– witness must sign and date form
Agents
• Election agent
– must be declared to the RO before noon on
Wednesday 6 April 2011
• Sub-agent
– must give written notice to the RO by no later
than Tuesday 3 May 2011
• Polling agent
– the RO requires notice in writing of any people
appointed as polling agents by 26 April 2011
• Counting agent
– the RO requires notice in writing of any
persons nominated to attend the counting of
the votes by 26 April 2011
Postal Votes
• Code of conduct – no candidate or supporter should put
themselves in a position where their honesty or integrity,
or that of the candidate or party, can be questioned
• Personal identifiers
– absent voters required to provide a sample
signature and their date of birth on their application
– this information is stored electronically and checked
against the security statement returned with the
electors completed postal vote pack
• This adds additional security steps to the processing of
applications and verification of returned votes
– it is important that any received applications or
postal vote packs are returned to the elections office
as soon as possible to ensure adequate time for
processing
Day of Poll
• Polling stations open from 7am to 10pm
• Office open [x]am to [x]pm for queries or problems
relating to the administration of the election
– any queries relating to regulatory issues or
queries about a candidate’s campaign
literature please contact the Electoral
Commission (contact details shown later)
• Polling station inspectors and their remit
• Tellers – refer to guidance
• Canvassing
• Postal Votes – can be handed into polling stations
within voting area or delivered to the elections
office until 10pm.
Counting of
Votes
• [insert local arrangements for the counting of
National Assembly election votes]
• Count centre will open to candidates, agents and
spectators from [x]
• The count will be held in:
– [insert count centre location/address]
• Make sure appointments for counting agents are
submitted to the RO prior to deadline
Spending issues
Candidates’
spending
• there is a limit to how much you can
spend on your campaigning
• you must report your spending to the
appropriate Returning Officer after the
election
• the Electoral Commission gives full
guidance on how to account for your
spending [hand out guidance or refer to
Commission website]
Contacts
Contacts
• Elections office – [insert]
• Electoral Commission contacts
- Party and Election Finance 020 7271 0616
- Wales office 029 2034 6800
Questions
Thank you
Please ensure you take your candidate’s pack for guidance