How to become a councillor

A councillor represents the people of an area of Aldershot or Farnborough, known as a ward. There are 13 wards in Aldershot and Farnborough.

To become a councillor

To become a councillor, you need to stand as a candidate at an election for a particular ward.

In Rushmoor, we normally have elections three out of four years when one councillor for each ward is elected. The elections are usually held on the first Thursday in May.

This means that if you are successful, you will serve for four years. At the end of four years, you will need to stand for re-election if you want to continue.

You can find more about what it's like to be a councillor on the Be a councillor website.

Who can be a candidate

You can be a candidate if:

• You are aged 18 years or over
• You are a British, Commonwealth or a citizen of another member state of the European Union

You also need to meet one or more of the following conditions:

• You are, and will continue to be, registered as a local government elector in the Rushmoor area in which you wish to stand from the day of your nomination onwards
• You are the owner or tenant of any land or premises in Rushmoor during the whole 12 months before the day of your nomination and the day of election 
• Your main or only place of work for the last 12 months prior to the day of your nomination and the day of election has been in Rushmoor
• You have lived in Rushmoor for the last 12 months before the day of your nomination and the day of election

You cannot become a candidate if:

• You are employed by Rushmoor Borough Council or hold a paid office under the authority (including joint boards or committees). You may be ‘employed by the local authority’ if, for example, you work at certain schools, fire services, police or health services
• You work for Rushmoor Borough Council or you work in what is known as a politically restricted post for another council
• You are an un-discharged bankrupt
• You have served time in prison in the last five years of three months or more (including a suspended sentence), without the option of a fine
• You have been disqualified from being a councillor because of previous corrupt or illegal practices
• You are subject to the notification requirement of or under Part 2 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003

How to become a candidate

For borough council elections, there is usually a candidates and agents briefing held in the middle of March. If you would like to be added to the contact list for the briefings, please email the elections team using the details below. 

Six weeks before an election, we publish a notice of election.

At that time, two electors will need to nominate you as a candidate for a particular ward. These people must all live in the ward where you are standing for election.

Once we have published the notice of election, you can get a nomination form from our elections team, who you can contact using the contact details below. You do not have to pay anything for the nomination.

You will need to fill in the nomination form and return it to us by the deadline.

If you belong to a political party, it may help you with your application and other parts of the process. If you're standing as an independent, you can contact us for advice.

You can also find more information and advice on the Electoral Commission - Candidates and Agents Guidance website.

You will probably be standing against other candidates. On election day, you will need to win more votes than them to be elected as the local councillor.