How to become a member of your local town/parish council or of East Riding of Yorkshire Council
You could become a Councillor if you:
- are 18 years of age or over and on the electoral register of the local authority that you wish to stand for
- have worked in the area for the past 12 months or more
- have occupied land in the area, either as an owner or tenant, for 12 months or more.
You cannot become a Councillor if you:
- are employed by the local authority that you wish to stand for
- are an undischarged bankrupt
- have been convicted of corrupt or illegal electoral practices
- have been sentenced to more than three month's imprisonment.
To assess whether you fit all of the criteria to become a councillor, please refer to the Local Government Act 1972, which outlines the qualification details in full.
To stand a chance of becoming a Councillor, you need to be nominated for election. Nomination Papers can be obtained from the Returning Officer, County Hall, Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire, HU17 9BA, from Monday to Thursday between 9am and 5pm, and on Fridays from 9am until 4pm (excluding Bank Holidays). At the request of any elector of the ward, the officer will prepare a nomination paper for signature.
To be nominated, you will require a 'proposer', 'seconder' and eight 'assentors', all of whom must be electors of the ward for which you wish to stand for election. The nominee must complete a 'Consent to Nomination' form and ensure that it is returned by the specified date. Nomination Papers must then be delivered to the Returning Officer at County Hall, Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire, HU17 9BA, by the specified date.
If the election is contested, a poll will then take place on a specified date.
