Stand as a Local Candidate

How you can support your community

Members of local authorities can make a real difference to the environment and quality of life in their local areas, particularly the functions and services provided by their local authority. Should you wish to represent your local community and speak up about issues which are important to them, then you may wish to consider standing for election as a Councillor or Commissioner. 

For a snapshot of what a typical day in the life of a Councillor or Commissioner entails, please contact the local authority of the area you are intending to stand in. You might also wish to consider attending a public Board meeting to assist in giving you an overview of the workings of local authorities and to give you an idea of what might be expected of you should you become elected.

The Island's local authorities are responsible for carrying out a variety of different services and in 2015 they agreed to take on additional functions, such as, street cleaning, gully emptying, removal of weeds, maintenance of highway verges and hedge trimming. For more information on the services carried out by local authorities, please view the local authorities page.

Your first point of call, should you be interested in becoming a Councillor or Commissioner, would be to contact the local authority of the area you intend on standing in. They can talk you through the nominations process, and provide you with a nomination form along with instructions on how to complete it. 

Standing for Election

All potential candidates are advised to contact the Local Authority in which they wish to stand at the earliest opportunity to ensure they receive all information issued around the election schedule and candidate responsibilities.

In order to stand for election and hold office as a member of a local authority a person must meet certain requirements.

At the time of nomination as a candidate, the person standing:

• must have attained the age of 18 years
  
  
• Be either a British Citizen or have the right to remain in the Island
  
  
• Be ordinarily resident in the Island and been so resident for a period of (or periods amounting to) 5 years or more
  
  
• Be registered on the register for electors for any electoral area in the Island

When a Local Authority General Election or By-Election is announced specific documents will be made available on this page for anyone who wishes to stand as a candidate – please see the ‘Downloadable Documents’ box on this webpage.  Please note that if multiple Local Authorities are holding elections each document is specific to one Local Authority so please ensure you download the correct version.

These key documents include guidance and reference to the relevant sections of legislation but in summary are:

1. Nomination Form – this form must be completed by each candidate and should include the details of a proposer, seconder and no less than 8 electors
   
   
2. Declaration of Relevant Interests – this form must be submitted along with the Nomination form at the time of standing for election
   
   
3. Declaration of donations by candidates - candidates must record donations they make
   
   
4. Declaration of donations received – candidates must record donations they receive
   
   
5. Declaration of expenses – candidates must record their election expenses and ensure they do not spend in excess of the prescribed amounts

Each person named as the candidate in the nomination form must produce to the returning officer the following:

• His/her passport OR
  
  
• A certified copy of his or her passport OR
  
  
• Other evidence to the satisfaction of the returning officer as proof of compliance of being a British citizen or having the right to remain in the Island

Available from the Downloadable Documents section of this webpage is the Guidance for Candidates document. This document provides more detailed guidance to inform and support candidates who wish to stand for election to any of the Local Authorities.

In addition to these requirements and forms, election candidates must comply with Data Protection legislation and be a Registered Data Controller. An election candidate is entitled to a copy of the full register of electors for the electoral area in which they are standing. This register contains personal data that constituents expect to remain confidential. As a consequence, the election candidate accessing such personal data is deemed a data ‘controller’ and MUST have registered with the Isle of Man Information Commissioner under their own name when standing for election.

Other downloadable documents to help provide guidance to potential candidates are available on this page and include:

• Advice note to Candidates from the Information Commissioner
  
  
• Code of Practice for Local Authority election materials
  
  
• Guidance on Local Authority election funding