Election information for potential candidates

May 2023 elections

On Thursday 4 May 2023 elections are scheduled to be held to elect eleven Worcester City Councillors.

Eligible electors in the following eleven Wards will be able to vote for their Worcester City Councillor:

• Arboretum
• Bedwardine
• Cathedral
• Claines
• Nunnery
• St Clement
• St John
• St Peter’s Parish
• St Stephen
• Warndon Parish North
• Warndon Parish South

Electors in Battenhall, Gorse Hill, Rainbow Hill, and Warndon Wards will not be electing City Councillors this year.

If sufficient candidates are nominated, there will also be elections held at the same time for nine seats in St Peter the Great County Parish Council, and four seats each in Warndon North and Warndon South Wards of Warndon Parish Council.

Standing as a candidate

If you are interested in standing as a candidate for the Worcester City Council or Parish Council elections, please read the information below.

Please also contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and provide your name, the Ward(s) or Parish(es) you are interested in, and a contact email.

By providing this you consent to receive emailed updates and official notices relevant to the May 2023 elections in those areas, you can opt out at any time. We will also use these contact details to send invitations to digital events (see important dates below)

Voter ID

For elections from 4 May 2023, all electors voting in-person at a polling station will need to show photo identification before they are given a ballot paper.

You can read the information we have provided for electors on our 2023 Elections page and more information is available at the Electoral Commission website.

Please ensure that you have carefully read all the information on Voter ID before speaking to electors about the issue. If you are not sure about anything you can ask us or direct the elector to contact us.

Posters and leaflets about Voter ID are being distributed to community hubs throughout the city. If you are aware of a useful location that has not been sent these materials, please let us know. We have also printed a limited number of leaflets for candidates to distribute to electors, these will be available from the Electoral Services office from March.

If you are speaking to an elector about them applying for a Voter Authority Certificate (VAC), please be aware that the Electoral Commission recommends that candidates or campaigners do not assist with these applications. This is due to the personal information an elector would need to share with you for you to assist them. The Guildhall customer services team can assist with any elector wishing to apply for a VAC.

If you are speaking to an elector about them applying for a postal vote, please explain all the voting options and discuss the implications of voting by post. Campaigners can encourage electors to apply for an absent vote but must inform them of all their options. Electors should be encouraged to send application forms directly to the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO), if a campaigner does receive an application form you must send it to the ERO within two working days.

Important dates

Informal checks

Once a potential candidate has completed their nomination papers, we offer the option of an informal check before they are officially submitted. Please contact us to book an appointment at the Guildhall and allow 20 minutes per candidate.

Formal submission

Nomination papers can be submitted to a member of the Returning Officers staff after the informal check has been completed. If you do not require an informal check or have had to make amendments after one has been carried out, you can submit your papers at the place and times stated on the Notice of Election. Please note that Guildhall customer service staff cannot accept a nomination paper, you must deliver to a member of the Returning Officer’s staff.

Guidance

Please read the following guidance:

1. The Electoral Commission guidance for City candidates and Parish candidates
2. A Worcester guide for candidates and agents (guide will be available in March 2023)
3. pdf Guidance on your campaign and the conduct of Tellers (650 KB)
4. pdf Worcester guide for candidates and agents (280 KB)

Candidate forms

All candidate forms are available for download from the Electoral Commission website. We have gathered them into one convenient location and made some minor amendments to make them more suitable for Worcester candidates, you can still use the Electoral Commission versions if you prefer.

• pdf City nomination pack, including Election Agent form (231 KB)
• pdf Parish nomination pack (214 KB)
• pdf Postal, polling, and count agent appointment forms (50 KB)
• pdf Register requests (130 KB)
• pdf Spending returns for City candidates (349 KB)
• pdf Spending returns for Parish candidates (327 KB)

The Returning Officer can print these forms for you to collect from the Elections office upon request.

Further information

Please contact the elections team if you have any further queries.

You can also find more information about being a councillor on the Local Government Association website.