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To stand as a candidate under a party name or description
on the ballot a person must stand as a candidate for a registered
political party and gain the permission of the political
party.
Alternatively, candidates can establish a new registered party,
for which they will have to complete appropriate documentation.
To use any description other than the word 'Independent' on the
ballot paper, the candidate must also supply a certificate of
authorisation, issued by a registered political party.
A registered political party is a party, which appears in The
Electoral Commission's Great Britain register of political
parties.
Registering a political party
Groups or individuals wishing to register a party name for
candidates to use at the local elections in England must have an
entry on the Register of Political Parties by the last day for
publication of the Notice of Election.
In order to register as a political party, the following must be
submitted to the Regulatory Services Directorate at The Electoral
Commission:
- a correctly completed application form, available from the
Electoral Commission website (link opens in
anew window)
- a copy of the party's constitution
- a draft financial scheme
- the required fee.
Further information and guidance on registering a political
party can be found on the
Electoral Commission website (link opens in a
new window).
Request to use an emblem on the ballot paper
If a candidate has been authorised by a political party to use a
description on the ballot paper, they can also request that one of
the party's official emblems is used on the ballot paper, next to
their name.
Each registered party can register up to three emblems. These
emblems can be viewed or downloaded from The Electoral Commission's
website.
The request to use an emblem must be made in writing by the
candidate and delivered to the Returning Officer together with the
nomination papers. The request must state both the name of the
political party and the description of the emblem to be used.
Registered emblems cannot be varied in any
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