Have you ever thought about standing for local election?

Elections will be held on Thursday, May 6, across north Herts to elect members to both the county council and parish councils.

The postponed 2020 elections to the District Council, elections for the town and parish councils, and the police and crime commissioner for the county will also take place on the same day.

District council elections will be held in each of the following wards where voters will be electing one councillor in each ward:

Baldock East

Baldock Town

Chesfield

Hitchin Bearton

Hitchin Highbury

Hitchin Oughton

Hitchin Priory

Hitchin Walsworth

Hitchwood, Offa and Hoo

Knebworth

Letchworth East

Letchworth Grange

Letchworth South East

Letchworth South West

Letchworth Wilbury

In addition there will a by-election to elect a new district councillor in Royston Palace Ward.

Postponed Parish council elections will be held in St Ippolyts and St Paul's Walden. There will also be by-elections for both Royston Town Council (Meridian Ward) and Sandon Parish Council.

Here's how you can apply to stand for local election

Councillors are elected to the local council to represent the local community.

The electoral cycle runs over a four year period. In north Herts, one third of the council seats are up for election every year over a three year period.

You can become a candidate (someone standing for election) as a member of a political party.

Contact details for political parties can be found using the Electoral Commission register of Political Parties.

You can also stand as an Independent (not affiliated to a political party).

To stand as a candidate at a local election in England you must:

be at least 18 years old

be a British Citizen, and eligible Commonwealth citizen or a citizen of any member state of the European Union

AND, meet at least ONE of the following qualifications

be registered as a local government elector for the local authority area in which you wish to stand;

or

have occupied as owner or tenant any land or other premises in the local authority area during the whole of the 12 months before the day of your nomination;

or

your main or only place of work during the last twelve months has been in the local authority area;

or

you have lived in the local authority area during the whole of the last twelve months

You will not be able to stand as a candidate if:

you are employed by the local authority you want to be elected to, or you hold a paid office under the authority (including any joint boards or committees);

or

you are the subject of a bankruptcy restrictions order or interim order

you have been sentenced to a prison term of three months or more, without the option of a fine, at any time during the five years before polling day

Further information on becoming a candidate and nomination forms can be found on the Electoral Commission website.