Police and Crime Commissioner Election 6 May 2021
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This document was classified as: OFFICIAL POLICE AND CRIME COMMISSIONER ELECTION 6 MAY 2021 INFORMATION PACK FOR CANDIDATES AND AGENTS Contents 1. Submission of Nomination Papers 2. Overview 3. Covid Considerations 4. Contact Details 5. Candidate Addresses 6. Access to Electoral Register and other resources 7. Registration and Absent Voting 8. Agents 9. Spending Limits 10. Canvassing and Political Advertising 11. Verification and Count Overview 12. EC Guidance 13. Publication of Results 14. Declaration of Acceptance of Office 15. Term of Office 16. Briefings Appendix 1 – Contact Details for Council’s within the Police area Appendix 2 – Election Timetable Appendix 3 – Candidate Contact Details Form Appendix 4 – Candidate Checklist Appendix 5 – Nomination Form Appendix 6 – Candidate’s Home Address Form Appendix 7– Consent to nomination Appendix 8 – Certificate of Authorisation (Party candidates only) Appendix 9 – Request for Party Emblem (Party candidates only) Appendix 10 – Notification of election agent Appendix 11 – Notification of sub-agent (optional) Appendix 12 – Candidates Deposits Form Appendix 13 – Notice of withdrawal Appendix 14 – Candidate’s Addresses Appendix 15 – Candidate Address Timeline Appendix 16 – Factsheet on Candidate Addresses Appendix 17 – Register Request Form Appendix 18 – Absent Voters Request Form Appendix 19 – Notification of postal voting agents, polling agents and counting agents Appendix 20 – Postal Vote Openings and Times Appendix 21 – Code of Conduct for Campaigners Appendix 22 – Declarations of Secrecy Appendix 23 – Polling Station Lists Appendix 24 – Verification and Count location plans Appendix 25 – Count Procedure and Stockton Count layout Appendix 26 – Thornaby Pavilion car parking Appendix 27 – Feedback Form J Danks Police Area Returning Officer (PARO) 1 This document was classified as: OFFICIAL 1. Submission of Nomination Papers Candidates/ Agents are encouraged to email scanned nomination forms and supporting papers for informal checking at the earliest opportunity. However, the law requires formal submission of nomination papers by hand, as set out below. Please email nomination papers for informal checking to [email protected] and telephone Margaret Waggott on 01642 527064 to confirm. When a candidate is validly nominated, they will receive a letter confirming their nomination. Form Delivery Where and when Notes Method Nomination Paper By hand by: Between 10.00am to Details of the required eight subscribers on the (including all 4.00pm on any working nomination form should be from the electoral register supporting pages) • The candidate day from Tuesday 23 for any voting area within the police area as published on • The proposer or March until 4.00pm on 1 March 2021. Original signed seconder as Thursday 8 April version shown on the 2021. The deadline for nominations is 4pm on Thursday nomination form 8 April 2021. • The candidate’s To the Police Area election agent, Returning Officer, the If a party name or description is used, this must be provided the Elections Office, Room 65, identical to the entry on the EC Register of notice of Municipal Buildings, Political Parties. appointment has Church Road, Stockton on been received Tees, TS19 1UE (sat nav). Alternatively the word “Independent” may be used as a description. Deadline 8 April 2021 4pm A deposit of £5,000 must be paid for each candidate by the deadline for delivery of nominations either by the deposit of legal tender (cash in British Pounds only), by means of a United Kingdom banker's draft or by an electronic bank transfer direct to Stockton-On-Tees Borough Council using Sort Code 55-61-00, Account Number 07436998 and quoting your name. Home Address By hand: As above The home address: Form • Must be completed in full • The candidate • Must not contain abbreviations Original signed • The proposer or Deadline • Must be the candidate current home address version seconder as 8 April 2021 4pm • Must not be a business address (unless this is shown on the also their home address) nomination form • The candidate’s A candidate may choose not have their home election agent, address published on the statement of persons provided the nominated. In this case, they must state an electoral notice of area which can be any constituency, division or ward appointment has contained within the police area). been received If a candidate has requested on the home address form that their home address details are supressed, but they become their own election agent as a result of not having appointed anybody else, the candidate’s home address will be published on the notice of election agents, even though, as a candidate, they have requested to keep it private. 2 This document was classified as: OFFICIAL Candidate By hand As above The consent form should be signed and dated by the Consent to candidate no earlier than 31 calendar days before the Nomination There are no Deadline nomination deadline (i.e. not before 8 March and by 8 restrictions as to 8 April 2021 4pm April 2021). Original signed who can deliver version Certificate of By hand As above A certificate, signed by an authorised officer (and being Authorisation or post an original document). Deadline Original signed There are no 8 April 2021 4pm As long as a person who has signed a certificate version restrictions as to claims that they have been authorised to do so by who can deliver the registered Nominating Officer, the certificate should be taken at face value. However, it would be helpful if Nominating Officers’ delegated authorities were up to date and provided to the PARO in advance of the nominations process. Delegated authorities may be sent by post or electronically. Request for Party By hand As above If the party has more than one registered emblem, Emblem or post the candidate should specify which one they want to Deadline use. Original signed There are no 8 April 2021 4pm version restrictions as to who can deliver Notification of By hand As above If no agent is appointed by the deadline for Election Agent or post withdrawals, the candidate is deemed to be their own Deadline election agent. Original signed 8 April 2021 4pm version 3 This document was classified as: OFFICIAL 2. Overview The Police Area Returning Officer and Local Returning Officer for Stockton is Julie Danks. The other Local Returning Officers are Denise McGuckin (Hartlepool), Tony Parkinson (Middlesbrough) and John Sampson (Redcar and Cleveland). Local Returning Officers are responsible for: • The conduct of the poll • The printing of the ballot papers • The appointment of Presiding Officers and Poll Clerks • Management of the Postal Voting Process • The verification and counting of votes The Police Area Returning Officer is responsible for: • The giving of notice of any PCC Election • The conduct of the nominations process • Ensuring that the requirements as to the content of candidate election addresses and the procedures for submitting them are complied with • The calculation of votes given for each candidate and the declaration of the result 3. COVID Considerations The coronavirus pandemic continues to impact our daily lives and as such presents particular challenges for the holding of elections. National guidance has been provided by the Electoral Commission, which has been developed in close consultation with the AEA and Cabinet Office to support our planning which is informed by initial and ongoing risk assessments of our electoral processes. In addition, specialist local Public Health and health and safety advice has helped to identify any mitigation measures that will need to be implemented to enable us to deliver the poll. We would ask all Candidates and Agents to follow the public health guidelines and to wear the appropriate PPE at all times. Please do not attend any part of the election should you be experiencing COVID symptoms of a high temperature, a new, continuous cough or a loss of, or change to, your sense of smell or taste, or if your circumstances require you to isolate. If there are any concerns about a candidate or agent breaching COVID rules, these should be reported through the online reporting system found at the following link: https://www.cleveland.police.uk/tua/tell-us-about/c19/v7/tell-us-about-a-possible-breach-of- coronavirus-covid-19-measures/ 4. Contact Details Contact details for the Councils within the Cleveland Force Area are attached at Appendix 1. 5. Candidates’ Addresses A copy template (information only) for the production of your Candidate’s address is attached at Appendix 14 together with the timeline for the submission (Appendix 15), approval and publication of Candidates’ addresses, it should be noted that the deadline for the submission of addresses to the PARO is 12 noon on Thursday 8 April. If the PARO has not received an address from you which 4 This document was classified as: OFFICIAL by that time complies with the relevant requirements, any address which may have been prepared for you will not be able to be published on the Cabinet Office’s website. If an address does not meet the relevant legal requirements it will be returned to the Candidate’s Agent and appropriate corrections will be invited. Resubmitted addresses must however be submitted to the PARO by 12 noon on 8 April. 6. Access to the Electoral Register and List of Absent Voters and Other Resources Prior to 29 March Elected representatives, candidates, local constituency parties and registered political Parties are entitled to receive a full copy of the Register of Electors and the lists of people voting by post or proxy (the list of absent voters) on request and free of charge. Such requests must be made in writing and must: • Specify the document that is required • State whether the request is made for current documents only or whether it includes a request for the supply of any subsequent documents, such as notices of alteration • State whether a printed copy of any of the documents is requested instead of the version in data form From 29 March Once you officially become a candidate (on the 29 March at the earliest) you are entitled to receive a free copy of the electoral registers and the lists of absent voters for the whole of the Police area you are contesting.