UK Parliamentary General Election Nomination Pack. Edinburgh South West Burgh Constituency

Transcription

1 UK Parliamentary General Election Nomination Pack Edinburgh South West Burgh Constituency

2 1. UK Parliamentary General Election 2015 List of Contents and Checklist for Nomination Pack for Candidates and Agents Constituency: Edinburgh South West Burgh Constituency Date of Election: Thursday 7 May 2015 Description 1.List of Contents and Checklist for Nomination Pack 2.Letter to Prospective Candidates 3.Election Timetable/Main Dates 4.Candidates and Election Agents Guidance Notes 5.Deposit Return Form 6. Candidate Checklist 7.Nomination Paper (including List of Subscribers) 8.Candidate s Home Address Form 9.Candidate s Consent to Nomination 10.Certificate of Authorisation (Party Candidate only) 11.Request for Party Emblem (Party Candidate only) 12.Notification of Election Agent (all candidates) 13.Request for Register of Electors and Absent Voters 14.Guidelines for Display of Posters 15.Statutory provision for use of Schools and Rooms 16.Spending Limits Long and Short Campaigns 17.Information on Polling Places 18.Electoral Commission s Code of Conduct for Campaigners 19.Previous Edinburgh South West Burgh Constituency Results from Notice of Withdrawal 21.Forms for appointment of Polling Agents, Postal Voting Agents and Counting Agents 22.Requirements of Secrecy for Polling, Postal Voting and Count Documents to be returned Comments for Election Team only Note: It would be helpful if you could complete the forms in BLOCK CAPITALS as appropriate. If you require any further assistance please do not hesitate to contact the Elections Nominations Team: Chris Highcock Fran Cattanach Ros Wilson

3 2. To: Candidates for the UK Parliamentary General Election Dear Sir/Madam UK Parliamentary General Election - Thursday 7 May 2015 Edinburgh South West Burgh Constituency I enclose nomination papers, including relevant supporting documentation, for the election of a Member of Parliament to represent the Edinburgh South West Burgh Constituency. The election will be held on Thursday 7 May I have made arrangements for my staff to accept nomination papers between 10am and 4pm from Wednesday 1 April 2015 and on each working day thereafter until 4pm on Thursday 9 April Nominations and deposits will be taken within the City Chambers, High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1YJ. Specific access arrangements to allow nominations to be taken have been put in place. The deposit for each nomination ( 500) may be paid by electronic bank transfer, legal tender or banker s draft (from banks operating in the UK only) and by debit or credit card (with an additional transaction fee of 6 for credit cards). As candidates and agents will be aware, the nomination period for the UK Parliamentary General Election is very tight as it straddles the Easter weekend. To assist in ensuring that an appropriate member of staff is on hand to receive nominations it would be helpful if candidates could call or to make an appointment. For the avoidance of doubt, completed nomination papers must be lodged not later than 4pm on Thursday 9 April 2015 at City Chambers, High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1YJ. Candidates are advised to read the Electoral Commission s Guidance to Candidates and Agents which contains all the relevant information regarding this Election. A candidates and agents briefing session will be held on Wednesday 18 March 2015, at 6pm in the City Chambers, High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1YJ. This session will provide additional information about the poll and count and will be facilitated by myself and members of my team. It will be an important opportunity to clarify any issues or ask questions you may have about the arrangements for the election. Yours faithfully Dame Sue Bruce Returning Officer Enc

4 3. Timetable for the UK Parliamentary general election: 7 May 2015 The days which are disregarded in calculating the timetable are Saturday, Sunday, Good Friday, other bank holidays and any day appointed for public thanksgiving or mourning. Please be aware that the timetable may change in the event of days being appointed for public thanksgiving or mourning. This timetable is based on the assumption that the writ is received on the day following the dissolution of Parliament. If in a particular constituency the writ is received on a different date: The notice of election in that particular constituency must be published no later than 4pm on the second day following the receipt of the writ. The period for delivery of nomination papers will begin from the day after the publication of notice of election. The deadline for nominations will remain the same (i.e. 4pm on 19 working days before the poll). Event Working days before poll (deadline if not midnight) Date (deadline if not midnight) Dissolution of 25 days Monday 30 March Parliament Receipt of writ 24 days Tuesday 31 March Publication of notice of election Delivery of nomination papers Deadline for delivery of nomination papers Deadline for withdrawals of nomination Not later than 22 days (4pm) From the day after the publication of the notice of election until the sixth day after the date of dissolution Not later than 4pm on Thursday 2 April Between 10am and 4pm on any working day after publication of notice of election until Thursday 9 April 19 days (4pm) 4pm on Thursday 9 April 19 days (4pm) 4pm on Thursday 9 April

5 Event Making objections to nomination papers (except for objections on the grounds that an individual candidate may be disqualified under the Representation of the People Act 1981 see Commission guidance) Deadline for the notification of appointment of election agent Publication of statement of persons nominated, including notice of poll and situation of polling stations Publication of first interim election notice of alteration Deadline for receiving applications for registration Deadline for receiving new postal vote and postal proxy applications, and for changes to existing postal or proxy votes Working days before poll (deadline if not midnight) On 19 days (10am to 5pm), subject to the following: Between 10 am 12 noon objections can be made to all delivered nominations Between 12 noon and 5pm objections can only be made to nominations delivered after 4pm, 20 days before the poll Date (deadline if not midnight) Between 10am and 12 noon on Thursday 9 April objections can be made to all delivered nominations Between 12 noon and 5pm on Thursday 9 April objections can only be made to nominations delivered after 4pm on Wednesday 8 April 19 days (4pm) 4pm on Thursday 9 April If no objections: on 19 days (at 5pm) If objection(s) are made: Not before objection(s) are disposed of but not later than 18 days (4pm) On 19 days If no objections: at 5pm on Thursday 9 April Objection(s) made: not before objection(s) are disposed of but not later than 4pm on Friday 10 April Thursday 9 April 12 days Monday 20 April 11 days (5pm) 5pm on Tuesday 21 April

6 Event Deadline for receiving new applications to vote by proxy (not postal proxy or emergency proxies) Publication of second interim election notice of alteration Publication of final election notice of alteration Deadline for notification of appointment polling and counting agents First date that electors can apply for a replacement for lost postal votes Working days before poll (deadline if not midnight) Date (deadline if not midnight) 6 days (5pm) 5pm on Tuesday 28 April Between 18 days and 6 days Between Friday 10 April and Tuesday 28 April (inclusive) 5 days Wednesday 29 April 5 days Wednesday 29 April 4 days Thursday 30 April Polling day 0 (7am to 10pm) 7am to 10pm on Thursday 7 May Last time for reissue of spoilt or lost postal votes Deadline for emergency proxy applications Last time to alter the register due to clerical error or court appeal 0 (5pm) 5pm on Thursday 7 May 0 (5pm) 5pm on Thursday 7 May 0 (9pm) 9pm on Thursday 7 May After the declaration of result

7 Event Working days before poll (deadline if not midnight) Event Deadline Date Date (deadline if not midnight) Delivery of return as to election expenses Deadline for sending postal vote identifier rejection notices Within 35 calendar days after the date the election result is declared Within the period of three months beginning with the date of the poll If result declared on Thursday 7 May: by Thursday 11 June If result declared on Friday 8 May: by Friday 12 June By Thursday 6 August 2015

8 4. UK Parliamentary General Election Thursday 7 May 2015 The Nomination Process A Quick Guide for Candidates and Election Agents DAME SUE BRUCE Returning Officer for the Edinburgh Constituencies c/o Election Office City Chambers High Street Edinburgh EH1 1YJ March 2015

9 Purpose This guide is for Candidates and Election Agents. It provides useful information to: help you contest the UK Parliamentary General Election on 7 May 2015; and explain how the Returning Officer (the RO ) and her Election Team for this constituency will run the Election. This guide can help you but it cannot replace the law, formal Notices published by the Returning Officer or guidance from the Electoral Commission. You can find more information about elections in: Laws The relevant legislation includes: Representation of the People Acts 1983, 1985 and 2000; Political Parties Elections and Referendums Act 2000; Political Parties and Elections Act 2009; Representation of the People (Scotland) Regulations 2001; and Electoral Administration Act 2006 Websites Useful websites include: The Electoral Commission and The City of Edinburgh Council If you have any questions about the election or the nomination process, please contact the Election Team at any time during office hours: Monday to Thursday 9am to 5pm; and Friday 9am to 4pm. Our office is closed over the Easter weekend. Please contact: Fran Cattanach Ros Wilson Chris Highcock fran.cattanach@edinburgh.gov.uk ros.wilson@edinburgh.gov.uk chris.highcock@edinburgh.gov.uk Our address is: City Chambers, High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1YJ. Please DO NOT deliver any election notices or forms to the Council s HQ at Waverley Court or any other Council office. 2

10 1 Your nomination: the essentials a Take care! Your formal nomination information must be accurate, because we use it for our documents and for the Ballot Paper. If you make a mistake, or if any information is wrong, your nomination may not be valid. b Informal help You are responsible for making sure your information is correct, but we can help by checking it informally before you deliver your formal nomination. Our informal checks help you take part in the electoral process by trying to spot errors. They also help to avoid a situation where voters are not able to vote for you or your party. We will let you know what we are doing when we check your papers informally. At the end of the informal check, if we find a problem, we will offer them back to you. Occasionally, nomination papers cannot be accepted and new or amended papers are required in order to meet statutory requirements. It is in your own interest to make sure that our submit nomination papers in good time in case new or amended papers be required. If we do not find a problem, we will offer to accept them formally. You can then decide what you want to do. The RO and her staff also have the power to correct minor errors in a nomination paper, for example obvious errors of spelling in the details of a Candidate or registered party. c Deadlines for the return of your nomination You can only return your completed nomination form and the other related documents between 10am and 4pm on one of the following days; Wednesday 1 April; Thursday 2 April; Tuesday 7 April; Wednesday 8 April; and Thursday 9 April. We cannot accept nominations on 3 April 2015 (Good Friday) or 6 April 2015 (Easter Monday). You must keep to these dates. By law, the RO cannot accept any forms received after the Closing Date (4pm on Thursday 9 April 2015). The nomination period is very short and we will be taking nominations for all 5 Edinburgh constituencies during this time. It will help us a lot if you make an appointment to deliver your nomination papers. This will allow us to provide the best service possible without making you wait for staff to become available. 3

11 Contact Fran Cattanach on to arrange an appointment. Most of your forms must be delivered by hand to the Election Team in the City Chambers, High Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1YJ. You can visit the City Chambers Reception on a drop in basis and ask for a member of the Election Team to help you, but you may have to wait until a member of the team is available to help you. d Delivering your Nomination Papers Your nomination can only be delivered by: You, as the Candidate; your proposer or seconder; or your Election Agent (assuming your agent is confirming his/her appointment on delivery of the forms) e Nomination Pack You can find blank copies of all the papers you need in the Nomination Pack, on the Council website at and on the Electoral Commission website at nation-pack-incl-election-agent-notification-form.doc We will provide paper copies of the forms if you need them. f Completing your Nomination Papers It is important that you pay particular attention to the rules for filling in nomination papers and related matters, found in Schedule 1 to the Representation of the People Act If you have any questions, you can refer to the Electoral Commission Guidance or you can ask the Election Team for advice. g A checklist is provided in Document 6 of the Nomination Pack, so you can check that you have completed all of the papers that you need to submit. 4

12 2 Guidance for completing the forms a Guidance for completing The Nomination Paper (Document 7 in the Nomination Pack) The candidate s full surname and all other names must be filled out in full. You can choose to have your commonly-used forenames and a commonly-used surname on the Ballot Paper and Statement of Persons Nominated, if these are different from your full name. We have the power to reject a commonly-used name if it is obscene or offensive or if we consider that is likely to mislead or confuse electors. There is no need to add a title (e.g. Mr, Dr, Cllr, etc.). If you do add a title, it will not appear on either the Statement of Persons Nominated or the Ballot Paper. You must include the names of ten subscribers who support your nomination. These ten people must be registered electors. Their names must be on the UK Parliamentary electoral register that is in force on 1 April 2015, for the constituency in which you propose to stand. The first two are your proposer and seconder, while the other eight are assenters to your nomination. Your subscribers must not have their names on any other nomination form. Each of your ten subscribers must sign your nomination form and provide their electoral number in the space beside their signature. The identifying letters for the polling district e.g. SWC07D - must also be included. We must reject your nomination if the subscriber information is not correct, so please take time to make sure that this information is all included and is right. You will need to check the electoral register to find the elector numbers for your subscribers. You can see a copy of the electoral register at public libraries in Edinburgh, the National Library of Scotland or at the Electoral Registration Officer s office at 17a South Gyle Crescent, Edinburgh EH12 9FL. enquiries@lothian-vjb.gov.uk or telephone If you wish to have a description other than Independent, then it must be authorised by a registered political party. A description may be either: the registered party name; or one of the descriptions the party has officially registered with the Electoral Commission. The description and party name must exactly match that given on the Electoral Commission s register of political parties. It if does not, we must by law reject your nomination. 5

13 If you write the description in capital letters it will be shown in small letters on the Ballot Paper itself, unless it is in capital letters on the Electoral Commission s register, which you can find at b Guidance for completing The Home Address Form (Document 8 in the Nomination Pack) You must state your full name and home address. Your home address does not need to be in the constituency in which you intend to stand. The home address must be completed in full, must not contain abbreviations, must be your current home address and must not be a business address. You can ask that your home address is not published on the Ballot Paper or Statement of Persons Nominated. You do this by signing the statement on the home address form. If you choose to do this, the UK constituency or country of residence (as appropriate) of the candidate will be printed on both the Statement of Persons Nominated and the Ballot Paper. c Guidance for completing The Consent to Nomination Form (Document 9 in the Nomination Pack) As a candidate, you must formally give your consent to being nominated. In signing this form the candidate also declares that they are not disqualified from being an MP. Again, you can find more guidance on the Electoral Commission website at d Guidance for completing the Certificate of Authorisation (Document 10 in the Nomination Pack) and the Request for a Party Emblem (Document 11) Your party s registered Nominating Officer may ask for one of the party s registered descriptions and emblems to be printed on the Ballot Paper. If you want to use the description and emblem, you will need a Certificate Of Authorisation from them. The Certificate of Authorisation must be delivered by 4pm on Thursday 9 April 2015 and forms part of your nomination papers. You should include the name of the registered party and the name or description you want to use. This must not be more than 6 words in length and must: 6

14 be authorised by a certificate issued by or on behalf of the registered nominating officer of the party; be nominated by the party s nominating officer; and be accompanied by a valid consent to nomination for each Candidate. A Candidate of a political party who is subject to a Certificate of Authorisation and who wishes to have a party emblem printed on the Ballot Paper must also complete Document 11 Request for a Party Emblem e Guidance for completing the Withdrawal of Nominations (Document 20 in the Nomination Pack) If you decide to withdraw your nomination, you must deliver a Notice of Withdrawal to us before the Closing Date (4pm Thursday 9 April 2015). It must be signed by both you and a witness. 3 Paying your Deposit a You must pay a deposit of 500 to stand for election. We must get your deposit by the Closing Date (4pm Thursday 9 April 2015). If you use an electronic, online or BACS payment, it is your responsibility to make sure that your deposit is actually in our bank account by the Closing Date. b How to pay your deposit You can pay by legal tender (cash), banker s draft (where the drawer is a UK bank), credit or debit card (we will charge an extra 6 for credit card transactions), or an electronic transfer of funds. Certified cheques and banker s drafts should be made payable to The Returning Officer for the Edinburgh *(fill in name of constituency) Burgh Constituency. (e.g. The Returning Officer for the Edinburgh East Burgh Constituency.) Electronic, Online or BACS Payments If you wish to pay your deposit by electronic, online or BACS payment please use these bank account details Sort code Number Bank name Currency GBP Branch name Short CEC-Income name IBAN account GB10RBOS BIC Royal Bank of Scotland 36 St Andrew Square Edinburgh RBOSGB2L 7

15 Make sure your payment reference is clear and shows your name or party (maximum 18 characters). If your reference is not clear then the payment might not be accepted, which would cause problems with your nomination. Your deposit is only accepted when the money arrives in the Council s bank account. It is not enough for you to show us a receipt. It is your responsibility to make sure that we have your deposit in our account by the Closing Date (4pm Thursday 9 April 2015). We recommend you contact the Election Team by BEFORE making the payment to tell us: Date money to arrive in the council s account; Amount of money; Name of party /Candidate; and Contact point in the party if there is a query. If you do not tell us in advance, your payment may be difficult for us to trace and this may cause a delay in processing your nomination Paying by Cash If you wish to pay cash, please tell the Election Team in advance so that we can make the necessary arrangements. 4 Returning Your Deposit As long as you get the necessary number of votes, we will return your deposit. The necessary number of votes is one-twentieth (5%) of the total number of votes polled by all the Candidates standing in the constituency. If you do not get the necessary number of votes, your deposit will not be returned but will, instead, be paid to the Treasury. We will refund the money by the next working day after the day on which the result of the election is declared. Document 5 in the Nomination Pack is a form that tells us the details of where you want the deposit to be paid to if we are able to return it. 5 Your Election Expenses A table showing the basis for the calculation of election expenses in relation to the short and long campaigns shown in Document 16 in the Nomination Pack. Please note that the electorate figure used to calculate the figures is based on the Register as at 2 April 2015, so the exact spending limits cannot be calculated until this number is available. Queries about election expenditure are best directed to the Electoral Commission as they monitor and regulate this area. We just collect the records from you after the election and make them available for inspection. 8

16 6 People that you can appoint to help you in the election a An Election Agent You must appoint an Election Agent by the Closing Date (4pm Thursday 9 April 2015). You can be your own Election Agent or it can be someone else. You should use Document 12 Notification of Election Agent to give their name, address and office. Your Election Agent must have an office in the Constituency or in a neighbouring one. If you do not tell us who you want your Election Agent to be, the law says we must assume that you are doing this job yourself and we will publish your name on our formal notice listing the Election Agents for the constituency. b Polling Agents You can appoint polling agents to visit polling stations on Polling Day. Their role is to help detect and prevent the offence of personation (where someone votes illegally by pretending to be another person). You must appoint any polling agents by informing us in writing by 29 April 2015 using Document 21 in the Nomination Pack. The Election Team will contact your Election Agent about this as soon as possible after the close of nominations. c Postal Vote Agents You can appoint agents postal vote agents to be attend the opening of postal vote. They will be informed in writing of the timings for these sessions. The number of agents who may be appointed will be confirmed in a formal notice about the opening of postal votes. Observers at postal vote openings must abide by the Requirement for Secrecy, which is Document 22 in the Nomination Pack. This is a very serious matter and breaches may be investigated by Police Scotland and could lead to fines or imprisonment. d Counting Agents You can appoint counting agents to attend the counting of the votes. Again, this must be done in writing and you need to use the form given in the Nomination Pack. Their role is to make sure that the Count is being conducted properly, scrutinising the processes as the eyes and ears of the voters. 9

17 Soon after the Closing Date (4pm Thursday 9 April 2015), the Election Team will let you know how many counting agents you will be allowed to appoint. The law says that this number can be found by dividing the number of staff counting the votes by the number of Candidates standing. However, we sometimes need to reduce the number of agents if the venue cannot safely hold that many people. In this election we expect that you will be allowed to appoint at least 21 counting agents. You must tell us the names and addresses of your counting agents in writing no later than 29 April 2015 using Document 21 in the Nomination Pack. 7 Useful Information for your Campaign a The Register of Electors and the Absent Voters List Once your nomination has been accepted as valid, you can request a free copy of the register of electors and the absent voters list. By law, you can only use the register and/or list for electoral purposes. To request the register fill in Document 13 in the Nomination Pack Request for Register of Electors and Absent Voters. We will sign it to confirm that you are a valid Candidate and then send it to the Electoral Registration Officer. You should arrange to collect your copy from them. Normally, it will be supplied to you in data format but you can ask for a paper copy if you prefer. b List of Polling Places There is a list of all the Polling Places in the Constituency in the Nominations Pack and we have also provided a small map of the constituency showing the location of each (Document 17). We can supply this map as a pdf or as a larger print version although there will be a charge of 20 for an A0 size to cover the costs of production. Contact Fran Cattenach for more information. 8 Conducting your campaign a Conduct and Behaviour We cannot give you any legal or other advice about how you or your team conduct your election campaign or about how you behave during the campaign. We only run the election, we do not police or regulate it. If you have any specific concerns about the behaviour of any candidates or how they are campaigning then you should contact either Police Scotland or the Electoral Commission, as appropriate. 10

18 b Posters and Signage You must not use street furniture or lampposts to put up any posters or campaign publicity material. If you do then they will be removed and you will be charged with the costs of removal. The decision to prohibit election posters on street furniture was taken by the City of Edinburgh Council on 2 July Some general information about this election a The Election Timetable An election timetable showing all the important dates is provided in the Nomination Pack (Document 3) and is also on the Electoral Commission website. data/assets/word_doc/0005/173066/ukpge- Election-timetable.doc b Constituencies in Edinburgh There are five constituencies for the UK Parliament in Edinburgh. Edinburgh East; Edinburgh North and Leith; Edinburgh South; Edinburgh South West; and Edinburgh West. We anticipate that they will all be contested at this election. c The Returning Officer The Returning Officer for the five Edinburgh constituencies is Dame Sue Bruce. She is also the Chief Executive of the City of Edinburgh Council, but that is separate from her role as Returning Officer. The Returning Officer is personally responsible for all aspects of administering the election. For some day to day elements of this work the Returning Officer may appoint deputes to exercise some or all of her powers. d Postal Votes We will be issuing postal Ballot Papers in batches with the first issue taking place between 20/22 April

19 Starting on 30 April there will be daily opening sessions for the Postal Vote packs that voters have completed and returned to us. At these openings we only be validate the voter s identity. The Ballot Papers themselves are kept face down at this time - we do not count any Ballot Papers until 10pm on 7 May We will send invitations to attend these Postal Vote opening sessions, at least 48 hours in advance. e Counting of Votes We will provide more detailed information about the count shortly after the close of nominations (4pm Thursday 9 April 2015). This will include information about the Count Centre facilities, procedures and the standards of behaviour that will be enforced. This year the counts for all five Edinburgh constituencies will be held at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (The EICC). The counts will start at 10pm on 7 May, opening the boxes of postal votes that have already been returned. Other ballot boxes will be counted as soon as they have been delivered to the count. There are a range of security measures in places for the transport of ballot boxes and the storage of papers and we can provide full details of these if that would be useful. The following people are entitled to attend the count: Returning Officer s staff; Candidates and one other person chosen by each of them; the Candidate s Election Agent; any appointed counting agents; guests invited by the Returning Officer; representatives of the Electoral Commission; and any accredited election observers We will provide security passes for each of these individuals. Ideally these passes can be collected in advance but they can also be issued at the reception on the night. They will only be issued to those on the count attendance list and photo ID will be needed. There are usually representatives of the media in attendance, including TV, radio and newspaper journalists. Further information about all aspects of the election is available on the Council website at 12

20 5 Deposit Return Form Faster Payment Transfer You have requested a UK Same Day (CHAPS) payment. Please complete details of required payment below. * Candidate/Party please complete the section marked in red Payment Details Debit Account * Sort Code *Official Use * Account No *Official Use * Payment Date (DD/MM/YYYY) *Official Use 8 digits * Payment Amount Your reference *Official Use Beneficiary Details * Beneficiary Name *Name of Candidate/Party Bank Account Account Details * Sort Code 6 digits * Account No 8 digits Bank Details Bank Branch Name Information for Beneficiary 2015 UK Parliamentary General Election Deposit Return Candidate/Party Representative Signature : Date : Authorised: (Council Use only) (Council use only) Dated: For Treasury use only Bankline ref: Created: Checked: Authorised: To ensure receipt for return of deposit into your account please provide us with your address;..

21 6 UK Parliamentary General Election 2015 Candidate check list This checklist is designed to assist candidates standing for election to the UK Parliament in preparing to submit their nomination, and should be read alongside the Electoral Commission's Guidance for candidates and agents. Nomination paper (all candidates) Task Add your full name surname in the first box and all other names in the second Optional - Use the commonly used name(s) box(es) if you are commonly known by a name other than your full name and want it to be used instead of your full name Description Party candidates can use a party name or description shown on the Electoral Commission s website and supported by a certificate of authorisation from that party; others can use Independent (and/or Annibynnol in Wales) or leave this blank. Whatever you enter in this box will appear as your description on the ballot paper. Subscribers all ten subscribers must sign. Use your copy of the electoral register to make sure the elector number of all subscribers is accurate Candidate s home address form (all candidates) Add the candidate s full name and home address Optional - If you do not want to have your home address printed on the ballot papers, complete part 2 of the form, giving the name of the constituency that your address is in (or country if outside the UK), and sign the form Candidate s consent (all candidates) Refer to the Commission s guidance on qualifications and disqualifications Add your full date of birth Sign and date the document in the presence of another person Get the other person to complete and sign the witness section Certificate of authorisation (party candidates only) Ensure the certificate contains the candidate s full name Tick Check the certificate allows the registered party name or description given on the nomination paper to be used (or allows the candidate to choose the party name or any registered description) Ensure the certificate is issued by the party Nominating Officer (or someone that they have authorised to issue it on their behalf) and that it is the original copy signed by that person Request for party emblem (party candidates only) Write the name or description of an emblem registered by the party and published on the Electoral Commission s website Ensure the request is made by the candidate Appoint an election agent (all candidates) Give name, address and office address of the appointed election agent Ensure the appointed agent signs the form showing their acceptance Deposit (all candidates) 500 deposit (to be submitted in legal tender, by a banker s draft, credit/debit card or electronic transfer of funds by arrangement with the Returning Officer)

22 7 UK Parliamentary General Election 2015 Nomination paper Election of a member to serve in Parliament for the Edinburgh South West Burgh Constituency Date of election 7 May 2015 We, the undersigned, being electors for the said Constituency, do hereby nominate the undermentioned person as a candidate at the said election Candidate s Details Candidate s surname Other names in full Commonly used surname (if any) Commonly used forenames (if any) Description (if any) See note 5 overleaf Subscribers Proposer: Seconder: Signatures Print name (optional) Electoral Number Distinctive letter Number We, the undersigned, being electors for the said Constituency, do hereby assent to the foregoing nomination Deliver to the Returning Officer by no later than 4pm on the last day to deliver nominations

23 Notes 1. The attention of candidates and electors is drawn to the rules for filling up nomination papers and other provisions relating to nomination contained in the parliamentary elections rules in Schedule 1 to the Representation of the People Act Where a candidate is commonly known by some title he may be described by his title as if it were his surname. 2A. Where a candidate commonly uses a name which is different from any other name he has, the commonly used name may also appear on the nomination paper, but if it does so, the commonly used name (instead of any other name) will appear on the ballot paper. 2B. But the ballot paper will show the other name if the Returning Officer thinks - (a) that the use of the commonly used name may be likely to mislead or confuse electors, or (b) that the commonly used name is obscene or offensive. 3. An elector may not subscribe more than one nomination paper for the same election. 4. A person whose name is entered in the register may not subscribe a nomination paper if the entry gives as the date on which he will become of voting age a date later than the day fixed for the poll. 5. A candidate supported by a certificate of authorisation signed by the Nominating Officer of a political party (or someone on their behalf) may use the party name or a description allowed by that certificate and registered with the Electoral Commission. A candidate may stand on behalf of two or more different parties and use a registered joint description if supported by certificate(s) of authorisation from each of the parties. Any candidate may alternatively use the description of Independent (and/or Annibynnol in Wales), or leave the description box blank.

24 8 UK Parliamentary General Election 2015 Home address form Constituency name Edinburgh South West Burgh Constituency Date of election 7 May 2015 You must complete Part 1 Only complete Part 2 if you do not wish your home address to be made public Part 1: To be completed by all candidates Full name of candidate Home address (in full) Postcode End of Part 1 If you are only completing Part 1 please now deliver this form with the nomination paper to the Returning Officer by no later than 4pm on the last day to deliver nominations Part 2: To be completed only if you do not wish your home address to be made public If you request that your home address is not made public then your address will not appear on the statement of persons nominated or the ballot paper If you choose not to make your home address public, the constituency in which your home address is located (or country, if outside the UK) will appear on the statement of persons nominated and the ballot papers Statement: I require my home address not to be made public The constituency which my home address is located in: (insert name of parliamentary constituency) Or My home address is outside the UK. My home address is located in: (insert name of country) Signature of candidate completing Part 2 Candidate s signature: Date: Deliver to the Returning Officer by no later than 4pm on the last day to deliver nominations

25 9 UK Parliamentary General Election 2015 Consent to nomination Constituency name Edinburgh South West Burgh Constituency Date of election 7 May 2015 Candidate s details and declaration I: (candidate name in full) hereby consent to my nomination as a candidate for election as member of the UK Parliament for the constituency named above I declare that I am not a candidate at an election for any other constituency where the date of poll is the same as for this election I declare that I am aware of the provisions of the House of Commons Disqualifications Act 1975 (as amended) and to the best of my knowledge and belief I am not disqualified from membership of the House of Commons My date of birth is: Day (DD) Month (MM) Year (YYYY) Note: It is an offence to make a false declaration Candidate s signature: Date: Witness details I confirm the candidate named above signed this declaration in my presence Witness (name in full): of (address in full): Witness signature: Date: Deliver to the Returning Officer by no later than 4pm on the last day to deliver nominations

26 10 UK Parliamentary General Election 2015 Certificate of authorisation To accompany the nomination of a candidate standing on behalf of a registered political party (Note: candidates standing on behalf of two or more parties require a certificate from each party and each must allow the registered joint description to be used) Constituency name Edinburgh South West Burgh Constituency Date of election 7 May 2015 This certificate must be issued by the registered Nominating Officer of the party or by a person authorised to sign on their behalf. This certificate authorises the candidate to use a specific registered description or the name of the party as registered with the Electoral Commission, or to use any registered description or the party name as registered with the Electoral Commission. This authorised party name or description can then be included by the candidate on the nomination form. It is this which will appear as their description on the ballot paper. Party names and registered descriptions are listed on the Electoral Commission s website ( Details of candidate to be authorised and the allowed description/party name The candidate (name in full): Name of political party: Political party registered with the Electoral Commission I hereby certify that the candidate may include the following registered description or party name in their nomination form: Note: It is an offence to make a false declaration Signature of party s registered Nominating Officer (or person authorised by the registered Nominating Officer): Name of person signing this form: Date: This form must be delivered to the Returning Officer by no later than 4pm on the last day to deliver nominations

27 UK Parliamentary General 11 Election 2015 Request for a party emblem This form is for a candidate of a political party who is subject to a certificate of authorisation and who wishes to have a party emblem printed on the ballot paper next to their name This form must be signed by the candidate Candidate s request for use of an emblem Edinburgh South Constituency name: West Burgh Constituency Date of election: 7 May 2015 Candidate name in full: I request that the ballot paper shall contain, against my name, the following registered emblem Emblem to be used (Please use name or description as on Electoral Commission s website): (please identify which emblem if the party has registered more than one) Candidate s signature: Date: This form is only effective if delivered for a candidate standing on behalf of a political party to the Returning Officer by no later than 4pm on the last day to deliver nominations. Candidates standing on behalf of more than one political party and using a joint description may choose one emblem from one of the parties that you are standing for. Please indicate the name of the party and the emblem name in the Emblem to be used box above.

28 12 UK Parliamentary General Election 2015 Notification of election agent Constituency name Edinburgh South West Burgh Constituency Date of election 7 May 2015 Candidate s notification of their election agent I, (Candidate name in full): Hereby declare that the name and home address of my election agent is Agent s name: Agent s address (in full): The office address of my election agent to which all claims, notices, legal process and other documents may be sent is: Agent s office address in full: Candidate s signature (or of person on behalf of candidate): Date: Confirmation of acceptance by election agent I [agent named above] confirm my acceptance as the election agent for the above named candidate. I understand that I must carry out my duties according to law. I understand there are penalties if I fail to fulfil my duties according to law. Agent s signature Date Agent s other details in case of query (optional will not be published) Home telephone: Work telephone: Mobile telephone: address: Return to the Returning Officer by no later than 4pm on the last day to deliver nominations

29 13. REGISTER OF ELECTORS UK PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION 7 May 2015 Request for Free Supply of Full Register of Electors and/or Absent Voters Lists Separate requests are required to be made to Electoral Registration Officer for each of the above documents. This form has been produced to try to simplify the request process by ensuring the statutory requirements are met and that the registers and lists issued are in the format the applicant requires, subject to the Electoral Registration Officer s ability to meet that request. The legislation requires only that the data is provided in a format held by the Registration Officer. PART 1 - REQUEST FOR FREE COPY OF THE ELECTORAL REGISTER The Representation of the People (Scotland) (Amendment) Regulations 2001 (as amended) provide for the supply of the Full Register of Electors at Parliamentary Elections. The entitlement is conferred on candidates and agents. This means that the appropriate boxes below must be completed to indicate the capacity of the person making the application. The form also requires to be signed in Part 3 by that person. Candidates and agents should note the following restrictions on the use of registers provided to them. THEY MAY NOT SUPPLY A COPY OF THE FULL REGISTER TO ANY PERSON, DISCLOSE ANY INFORMATION CONTAINED IN IT THAT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE EDITED REGISTER OR MAKE USE OF ANY SUCH INFORMATION OTHER THAN FOR ELECTORAL PURPOSES. I, Name a candidate at the election OR standing for the Parliamentary Constituency of an Election Agent for a Candidate Standing Nominated (please enter an X in the appropriate box) wish to request a copy of the register of electors and any notice of alteration to it. I understand that this will be provided in the form of a consolidated register subject to the fact that further alterations may take place after the supply of the register. In either case above, please enter the name of the relevant political party, or Independent, in this box CONFIRMATION BY RETURNING OFFICER To speed up the processing of a request a candidate or agent may seek the signature of a member of the Returning Officer s staff. In the absence of such a signature the candidature will require to be confirmed by the ERO prior to the issue of the register. Returning Officer's Signature Cont d Over/.

30 Page 2 Unless you indicate, by the entry of an X in the box opposite, that you wish your copy of the register to be issued in PAPER FORMAT it will be issued in data format. If you wish your copy in data format by please indicate, by entering an X in the box. Please provide address (BLOCK LETTERS) The data will be supplied in CSV format. PART 2 - REQUEST FOR FREE COPY OF ABSENT VOTERS LISTS These are supplied free of charge by the ERO on written request under Regulation 61(1) of The Representation of the People 2001 as amended. In this case, the qualifying applicants are as described in Part 1 above. If you wish to request the issue of Absent Voting Lists please enter an X in the box opposite. It will, whenever possible, be issued in the same format (either data or paper) as the register. PART 3 - CANDIDATES OR AGENTS DETAILS Candidate s or Agent s Name Candidate s or Agent s Signature Date Address Contact Telephone No Contact Address NOTE - WITHDRAWAL OF CANDIDATES Should a candidate to whom a register and or absent voters lists have been issued subsequently not stand or withdraw from an election, any register or lists in hard copy should be returned to the ERO. Any copy provided by should be destroyed. In such circumstances any usage of the register, for any purpose, may be in contravention of the legislation. PART 4 - DELIVERY INSTRUCTIONS Copies of the register and absent voters lists will be issued as soon as possible after the receipt of your request. Paper copies may take longer to supply. 1 If you want to collect it from the ERO s office please enter an X in the box. We will advise you by telephone or when it is available. 2 If you want to have it posted/delivered to the Candidate s or Agent s address shown above please enter an X in the box. 3 If you have requested supply by it will be issued to you as soon as possible. Please send this form to: THE ELECTORAL REGISTRATION OFFICER 17A SOUTH GYLE CRESCENT EDINBURGH, EH12 9FL A faxed copy will be accepted. Fax Number (0131) If you need additional information please telephone (0131) Candidates request form PGE 7 May 2015

31 14. Guidelines for display of posters - Following a decision of Council on 2 July 2011, the City of Edinburgh Council prohibits the erection of election posters and signage on street furniture and lampposts. - Any such posters found to be erected on street furniture and lampposts shall be removed forthwith. The political party or independent candidate responsible for the erection of such posters may be charged by the Council for the posters removal.

32 15. Statutory provision for using Schools and Rooms for public meetings Candidates may want to engage with the public through public meetings where they can promote their views and respond to questions from the audience. Under Section 95 of the Representation of the People Act 1983, a candidate at a Parliamentary election is entitled to use rooms in school premises and other publicly maintainable meeting rooms, free of charge to hold public meetings at reasonable times of the day and these must be booked by the candidate. This right applies during the period between the publication of the notice of election (31 March 2015) and the day of the election itself (7 May 2015). Should you wish to use a school room for election meetings please contact Steven Motion (steven.motion@edinburgh.gov.uk) or Graham Walker (graham.walker@edinburgh.gov.uk).you will need to give reasonable notice, which will reduce the risk of the request being refused. The council will make no hire charge for these rooms, but you candidates would need to pay for any expenses such as heating, lighting cleaning and janitorial support and for any damage to the premises. The obligation to provide rooms in schools is an obligation to provide a suitable room in a school (not an independent school) in the constituency for which the candidate is standing, or if there is no such school in the constituency, to such a school in an adjacent one. The right to use rooms in schools does not authorise any interference with the hours during which a school is used for educational purposes and as with publically maintainable meeting rooms it does not override any prior letting of a meeting room. If you wish to discuss further, contact the Election Team via elections@edinburgh.gov.uk or Chris Highcock, Senior Depute Returning Officer ( / chris.highcock@edinburgh.gov.uk) to discuss your requirements and what might be suitable.

33 16. UK PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION IN THE Edinburgh East, Edinburgh North and Leith, Edinburgh South, Edinburgh South West and Edinburgh West Burgh Constituencies 7 May 2015 CANDIDATE S ELECTION EXPENSES LIMITS LONG CAMPAIGN The amounts given below are the limits on candidates election expenses based on 30, p (burgh constituencies) for every entry in the register of electors as it has effect on the last day for publication of notice of the election. (The Representation of the People Act 1983 as amended). The electorate figure is based on the Register as at 2 April 2015, the last day for publication of the notice of election. It must be stressed that these amounts are necessarily only indicative and that candidates and their election agents must ascertain the amounts applicable to themselves by reference to the final electorate figures and the relevant legislation. DAME SUE BRUCE Returning Officer Constituency Electorate as at 27 Feb 2015 Election Expenses Limit Edinburgh East , Edinburgh North and Leith , Edinburgh South , Edinburgh South West , Edinburgh West ,934.86