Interested in becoming a councillor for Dorset Council?

Join our Candidates Briefing.

Ever thought of becoming a local councillor? All 82 councillor seats for Dorset Council are up for election in May this year.

As a councillor you will play a vital role in shaping local services and make a huge difference to the quality of life of local people and how local issues are dealt with.

Many candidates stand as a member of a political party, but you do not need to be a member of a political party and you do not need to be aligned to one of the existing political groups on the council in order to stand for election.

A briefing for Candidates and Agents for the election on 2 May 2024 will be held at 9.30am Friday 19 January, and repeated at 5.30pm on Monday 22 January.  These briefings will cover key changes in the Election Act 2022, the election timetable, qualifications for standing as a candidate and submission of Nomination Papers.

Booking is essential so if you would like to attend this briefing either in-person or remotely so please register your interest by complete this booking form.  

You can attend the briefing in person in the Council Chamber, County Hall, Dorchester DT1 1XJ or, if you prefer, you can join the briefing remotely via Microsoft Teams.

For further information please also see:

information about the role of a councillor

support available to candidates and councillors  

There will be an opportunity at the end of the briefing for both in-person and remote attendees to ask any questions they may have that we have not covered in the presentation.

Eligibility:

To stand for election as a councillor for Dorset Council, you must:

• Be 18 years old or over on the day of your nomination
• Be a British citizen, an EU citizen, or a Commonwealth citizen
• Be registered to vote in and/or have either lived or worked in the Dorset Council area for at least one year.

If you have any questions, please contact the Elections Team at elections@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk or call us on 01305 838299  

More information is available on our website.