There are 15 Town Councillors on Alsager Town Council spread over three wards (see ward map): East, West and Central.
It is the electors of the ward who vote in any given election, and a Councillor does not have to live in the ward they stand in.
In any election, you can only stand once i.e., in one ward. If you stand for more than one you will not be validly nominated in either. However, you are not tied to a ward, so, for example, if you stand for election in East ward in one election, you could stand in West ward at the next.
WHY BECOME A TOWN COUNCILLOR
Town Councillors can make a huge difference to the quality of life for the town’s residents and ensure that local issues are dealt with in a way that benefits the local community. If you are passionate about improving your local area and helping to shape its future and feel you can represent the views of local people in decisions affecting the town of Alsager, consider becoming a local Town Councillor.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO STAND TO BE ELECTED AS A COUNCILLOR?
Anyone aged 18 or over can stand for election (or co-option) if they meet certain qualification criteria: On the day of nomination or day of the poll you must be a British citizen or a citizen of either an eligible Commonwealth nation or the European Union and you must meet at least ONE of the following four qualifications:
- Registered Elector – You are on the electoral register for Alsager at the time of nomination and will remain on the register throughout your term of office.
- Occupied Land in Alsager – You have occupied land or premises in Alsager as owner or tenant during the 12 months before the day of your nomination and the day of the election.
- Work in Alsager – Your main or only place of work is in Alsager or has been during the past 12 months, this includes voluntary work if it is the main or only work you undertake.
- Live in Alsager – You have lived in Alsager, or within 3 miles of the boundary, for the 12 months preceding nomination and day of the election.
You are disqualified from being a Town Councillor if any of the following apply:
- you are an employee or paid officer of Alsager Town Council
- you are the subject of a bankruptcy restrictions order or interim order
- you have been sentenced (inc. suspended sentences) to a term of imprisonment of three months or more within the 5 years prior to polling day
- you have been disqualified under the Representation of the People Act 1983 e.g., for corrupt or illegal electoral practices.
- you are subject to the notification requirement of or under Part 2 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, and the ordinary period allowed for making an appeal or application in respect of the order or notification has passed.
Detailed guidance on qualification and disqualification can be found on the Electoral Commission website.
You can stand for election (or co-option) as a candidate who is independent of any political party or as a candidate for a political party, however, to do so you must have permission from the party, usually through the local branch.
WHAT DOES A TOWN COUNCILLOR DO?
Councillors work together to set the policy direction of the Town Council. Councillors are expected to attend regular meetings of the Council and its committees in order to contribute to the decision-making process for a range of matters, such as, deciding what services should be delivered, where money should be spent and what policies should be implemented.
Councillors represent the local community, both residents of their ward and the town as a whole and may be contacted by residents who have problems that they need assistance with, and some Councillors are also appointed to serve on a range of outside bodies.
SUPPORT PROVIDED
The Town Clerk provides an induction for all new Councillors and part of that role is to provide advice and support to all Councillors. Experienced Councillors are often happy to support new Councillors ‘find their feet’.
New Councillors will be encouraged to undertake training relevant to their roles and the needs of the Council and Councillors also have access to advice from the Cheshire Association of Local Councils (ChALC).
HOW TO BECOME A TOWN COUNCILLOR
There are three main ways to become a Councillor:
Ordinary Election
Ordinary elections are held every four years, and this is when all 15 seats on the Council are up for election. Councillors serve a four-year term, and all take office four days after the election. The next ordinary elections are to be held in May 2023.
By-Election
If a vacancy arises between ordinary elections, a by-election may be held for that one seat. The elected Councillor will serve the remainder of the term and retire with other Councillors at the next ordinary election.
Co-option
If an insufficient number of candidates stand for an ordinary election leaving seats vacant, or a by-election is not triggered when a casual vacancy arises, the existing Councillors may vote to co-opt a Councillor to serve the term.
STANDING FOR ELECTION
Elections to Alsager Town Council are run by Cheshire East Borough Council (the elections authority). Standing for election is the same for ordinary elections and by-elections and the Electoral Commission website has full resources that explain the rules in more detail. The detailed timeline for an election will be set out in the formal Notices. If you are intending to stand as a candidate for a political party, you should contact the party in advance.
Just over a month before an election, a formal Notice of the Election will be given by Cheshire East Council. This will be published on the Town Council’s noticeboard and website, and we’ll promote it. The Notice will give a date from which nomination papers can be submitted.
NOMINATION PROCESS
To stand as a candidate at any election a nomination paper must be submitted, providing details of the name, address and political description, where appropriate. Nomination papers can be downloaded from the Electoral Commission website or may be available from the Town Council Offices.
The nomination paper must have a signature from two registered electors within Alsager, one proposer and one seconder, and they must be on the electoral register that is in force on the 25th working day before the poll. You will also need a witness to confirm you have consented to the nomination and provided your correct information.
Candidates have from the day after the notice until around one month before an election to submit their nomination papers to Cheshire East Council. There is often a window of around a week between the notice and the deadline for nominations. Nomination papers must be hand delivered and completed fully.
By the day after the close of nominations, we will publish a ‘statement of persons nominated’ which lists who has stood for election and who has proposed them. This will be followed by the ‘notice of poll’ which confirms the detail of the election.
There are detailed rules on campaigning and election spending, candidates should read the guidance from the Electoral Commission.
When the votes are counted depends on what other elections are running on the same day. Cheshire East Council will let candidates know when the votes will be counted, and candidates can attend the count.
APPLYING FOR CO-OPTION
If the Town Council has a vacancy to fill by co-option, we will advertise it on our noticeboard, website, and social media. We will give at least two weeks’ notice and invite those wishing to be co-opted to complete an application form which sets out their eligibility and the reasons why they want to be a Councillor.
The applications will then be put to a meeting of the Full Council where the Councillors will vote to determine which candidate is co-opted and becomes a Councillor.