Guide for Candidates and Agents UK Parliamentary Elections 2015 Bromsgrove Constituency Issued by the Acting Returning Officer March 2015 Table of Contents PAGE Contact 1 Parliamentary Election Timetable – 7th May 2015 2 Sample Notice of Election 3 Candidates’ Deposits and Candidates’ Expenses 4 (inc. electorate figure) Supporting Documents Available 5 - 6 Notices of Time and Place for Local Key Dates 7 - 8 Postal Voting Overview 9 -10 Postal Vote Opening Process – A Brief Summary 11 - 12 Useful Websites 13 Guidance for Tellers 14 Section 66 – Secrecy at proceedings 15 Posters and Flyposting 16 Past Election Results 17 - 18 Separate Enclosures The Electoral Commission’s Nomination Pack Electorate figure List of Polling Stations for this Election Application form for the Electoral Register Application form for the Absent Voters List Code of Conduct – Guidance and Voluntary Declaration Form General Information Combined Elections on 7 May 2015 The Bromsgrove Parliamentary Constituency comprises the Bromsgrove District Council area. The UK Parliamentary Election is to be combined with Bromsgrove District Council Elections and Parish Council Elections and to be held on Thursday 7 th May 2015 Acting Returning Officer Details Acting Returning Officer Kevin Dicks (Chief Executive) Deputy Acting Returning Officers Claire Felton (Head of Legal, Equalities & Democratic Services) Ross Thompson (AEA Consultant) Tracey Hurst (Electoral Services Officer) Contact Details for Candidate and Election Agent Matters Electoral Shared Services Town Hall Walter Stranz Square Redditch B98 8AH Phone 01527 882 322 Email: [email protected] Contact Details for Registration and Absent Voting Matters: Electoral Shared Services Town Hall Walter Stranz Square Redditch B98 8AH Phone: 01527 881 421 Email: [email protected] (1) Timetable of Proceedings for UK Parliamentary Election For Thursday 7th May 2015 Dissolution of Parliament Monday 30 March 2015 Issue of Writ Tuesday 31 March 2015 Publication of Notice of Election by 04:00 pm Thursday 2 April 2015 Receipt of Nominations by 10:00 am to 04:00 pm Thursday 9 April 2015 Withdrawl of Candidate 04:00 pm Thursday 9 April 2015 Appointment of Election Agents 04:00 pm Thursday 9 April 2015 Publication of Statements of Persons Nominated 05:00 pm Thursday 9 April 2015 Receipt of Registration Applications Monday 20 April 2015 Receipt of Postal Vote Applications 05:00 pm Tuesday 21 April 2015 Receipt of Proxy Vote Applications 05:00 pm Tuesday 28 April 2015 Appointment of Poll and Count Agents Wednesday 29 April 2015 First Day to Issue Replacement Lost Postal Ballot Papers Thursday 30 April 2015 Day of Poll 07:00 am to 10:00 pm Thursday 7 May 2015 Receipt of Emergency Proxy Vote Applications 05:00 pm Thursday 7 May 2015 Last Day to Issue Reissue Spoilt or Lost Postal Votes 05:00 pm Thursday 7 May 2015 Declaration of Candidates Expenses Thursday 11 June 2015 (2) Sample Notice of Election NOTICE OF ELECTION Parliamentary Election for the Bromsgrove Constituency 1. An Election is to be held of One Member of Parliament for the Bromsgrove Constituency. 2. Nomination papers must be delivered to the Acting Returning Officer, Room 8, The Council House, Burcot Lane, Bromsgrove B60 1AA on any day after the date of this notice between the hours of 10am and 4pm but no later than 4pm on Thursday, 9th April 2015. 3. Forms of nomination for the Parliamentary Election may be obtained from The Acting Returning Occier at The Council House, Burcot Lane, Bromsgrove B60 1AA who will, at the request of an elector for any electoral area prepare a nomination paper for signature 4. The required deposit may be made either by the deposit of any legal tender or by means of a banker’s draft drawn upon a bank operating in the United Kingdom. 5. If any election is contested the poll will take place on Thursday, 7th May 2015. 6. Applications, amendments or cancellations of postal votes must reach the Electoral Registration Officer, Electoral Shared Services, Town Hall, Walter Stranz Square, Redditch B98 8AH by 5pm on Tuesday, 21st April 2015. 7. Applications to vote by proxy at this election must reach the Electoral Registration Officer, Electoral Shared Services, Town Hall, Walter Stranz Square, Redditch by 5pm on Tuesday, 28th April 2015. 8. Applications to vote by proxy at this election applied for on grounds of physical incapacity, or absence in relation to occupation, employment or service, occurring after 5 pm on Tuesday, 28th April 2015, must reach the Electoral Registration Officer, Electoral Shared Services, Town Hall, Walter Stranz Square, Redditch B98 8AH by 5pm on Thursday, 7th May 2015 (3) CANDIDATES’ DEPOSITS AND CANDIDATES’ EXPENSES Deposits Rule 9 of the Parliamentary Election Rules requires that Candidates’ Deposits are made during the period allowed for nominations, closing at 4PM on Thursday 9 April 2015. The amount of the deposit is £500. As we require funds to clear before the close of nominations, and as the period permitted for nominations is so short, we will only receive deposits in the form of Bankers’ Drafts or legal tender (£1 coins or notes of greater denomination). Rule 53 concerns the returns of deposits. We will return the deposits for those candidates that receive more than one twentieth of the total number of valid votes that are polled by all the candidates by the legal deadline of Monday, 11 May 2015, by posting a cheque drawn upon the Acting Returning Officer’s account to the candidate or to his personal representative notified to us in writing. Forfeited deposits are sent to HM Government. In addition to the information contained in the following Notice, candidates must receive at least 5% of the total of votes polled to be able to have their deposit returned after the election. Full details on deposits can be obtained in the Electoral Commission’s “Guidance for Candidates and Agents” – Part B. Election Expenses Comprehensive guidance on Election Expenses is contained in the Electoral Commission’s “Guidance for Candidates and Agents” – Part C. Expenditure is now governed by the “long campaign” and “short campaign” periods and is dependent upon when Parliament is dissolved. A separate note on Hustings Events is published by the Electoral Commission. Please read this carefully, as this may affect your expenses. To assist you with planning your campaign, statistics for the Register of Electors as at the publication of the notice of election (1 April 2015 Register) for the Bromsgrove Constituency is included with this document. Please note: It is neither the role nor responsibility of the Acting Returning Officer’s staff to provide guidance/advice on permitted expenditure and expenses limits. Expenses Forms and Returns of Expenditure Expenses form can be obtained from the Electoral Commission’s website at: www.electoralcommission.org.uk/guidance/those-we-regulate/candidates-and-agents Expenses and the necessary Agent’s and Candidate’s Declarations shall be delivered to the Acting Returning Officer within 35 days after the day on which the result is declared . Please note: It is neither the role nor responsibility of the Acting Returning Officer’s staff to provide guidance/advice on the completion of the returns and declarations. The submission of these forms is a legal requirement, and a record of all such returns and declarations are held by the Acting Returning Officer’s staff for public inspection for a period of two years. (4) Supporting Documents Available GENERAL OVERVIEW: The Representation of the People Acts makes provision for the Electoral Registration Officer or for the Acting Returning Officer to supply various documents or data to candidates and their agents in an election to support them in the conduct of their campaign. The Political Parties are requested to be mindful that printed versions of the documents are lengthy – over 72,000 entries in the electoral register and currently 10,500 entries in the absent voters lists. Whilst you can request either a paper or data copy, please be mindful of the time and resources required to produce a paper copy, compared to a data version. Obtaining the Documents or Data The Register of Electors, Absent Voters List and the Marked Polling Station Register/Marked Absent Voter List are all available from Electoral Shared Services upon written request – application forms for each of these items are contained in the Appendix at the back of this booklet and can either be detached or copied as required. Completed application forms should be sent to the Electoral Shared Services Team: Tel: 01527 881 421 E-mail: [email protected] THE ELECTORAL REGISTER: The Register was published on 1 December, with monthly updates made on the first working day of each month. It can be supplied to the following upon receipt of a written request :- A person nominated to act for a A registered political party constituency party A Member of Parliament An election candidate Some local constituency party representatives and the registered political parties have already received their copies of the Register following its publication on 1 December. The relevant regulations state that ONE copy is available per annum, which is supplied free of charge. Applications for the receipt of the Register to be made in writing – an application form is included. Please send to the Electoral Shared Services team. THE ABSENT VOTERS LISTS: There are three types of absent voter, namely:- Postal Voters , Proxy Voters and Postal Proxy Voters . In the run up to an election, the list is constantly changing. The current list is as it stands at 9AM on the day on which it is supplied. The final list is as it stands after 5PM pm on 21 st April for postal voters or 28th April for proxies. (5) The Absent Voters List can be supplied to the following upon receipt of a written request :- A person nominated to act for a A registered political party constituency party A Member of Parliament An election candidate Applications for the receipt of the Absent Voters List must be made in writing, specifying whether the current or final list is required.