Nominations are now open for general election candidates to be Bristol’s next MP

Nominations are now open for candidates who will stand in the general election and hope to become Bristol’s next MP. Anyone wishing to stand must submit their nomination to Bristol City Council by 4pm on Friday 7 June.

Voters across the country will head to the polls on Thursday July 4 for the general election, with five seats up for grabs in Bristol. Candidates for elections tend to be part of a major political party, but most people can apply to become candidates.

Another vote will take place on polling day: the Horfield by-election, and nominations are also open for candidates to become the new ward councilor until Friday. That’s because a newly elected councillor, Deborah Vittori, has been disqualified because she is employed by Bristol City Council.

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To stand in the general election you must be 18 years of age or over, a British citizen, an Irish citizen or an eligible Commonwealth citizen. Civil servants, police, armed forces and judges are disqualified from becoming MPs.

Nominations must be submitted to the electoral services team at the council. The address is the B Bond depot on Smeaton Road. Appointments can be made with electoral service managers for informal verification of nomination documents.

Nominations must include the signatures of 10 registered voters in the constituency. A deposit of £500 must also be made, which is refunded if candidates poll more than five per cent of the total votes cast in their place.

By-election candidates cannot be employed by the board, including maintained school teachers. It is important to check that you are not disqualified before standing for election.

So says the Electoral Commission, which says: “The whole range of disqualifications is complex and if you are in any doubt about whether you are disqualified, you should do everything you can to check that you are not disqualified before you file your nomination papers.

“You must ensure that you are not disqualified as you will be required to sign one of the nomination papers required to confirm that you are not disqualified. It is an offense to make a false statement on nomination papers about your qualification to be elected, so if you are in any doubt you should contact your employer, consult the legislation or, if necessary, take your own independent legal advice. “