MyCouncillor: Setting your main picture
What kind of photo should I use for my main picture? The main photo will be the main feature of your site’s ‘landing page’. It…
MyCouncillor: Setting your contact details & social media
Where do I add my contact details and biography? The details that display on your site are linked from your Profile page, which you can…
Freedom of Information
What does Freedom of Information mean for councillors? There are two main issues which need to be considered when discussing the relationship between freedom of…
MyCouncillor: Posts and Pages
Where do my new posts display? Visitors to your site can scroll down from your main page to see a selection of headlines (and the…
Posting – The Basics (New Posts, Adding Media, Publishing)
Posting – The Basics The main aim of MyCouncillor is to provide ALDC members with a ‘blogging’ service. MyCouncillor sites use wordpress – there is…
ALDC Membership Benefits
Who can join ALDC? Any Liberal Democrat member can join ALDC. No matter what your role – councillor, candidate or campaigner (activist, organiser, agent, team…
Appointing an Agent
Appointing an agent Only the candidate can appoint the election agent (except in the case of party list elections, where the party appoints the agent).…
Apportionment of Expenses
Guidelines for the apportionment of expenses where there are multiple vacancies The key requirement is that it must be possible to demonstrate to the courts,…
Assisting Disabled Voters
Assisting disabled voters The Presiding Officer may assist blind, disabled or illiterate voters, or those physically unable to cast a vote. A large print ballot…
Availability of the Electoral Register
Availability of the register The party is legally entitled to a copy of the register and this entitlement is devolved to the DNO (15.1 Delegated…
Bankruptcy
The law in England and Wales on bankruptcy was changed by the Enterprise Act 2002 s.267(1), amending the Local Government Act 1972 s.80(1)(b). The changes…
Building your Shuttleworth
Winning local elections is usually about differential turnouts In many places we don’t have a “natural” majority of the electorate. The key to winning locally…
By-Elections – Before the campaign starts
A By-election can be a tremendous opportunity for your local party. It could mean winning or changing control of a Council. It could mean breaking…
By-Elections – Pre-Election Checklist
Pre-election checklist To think about … Let ALDC and Region know about your by election! Campaign team identified Agent/ Organiser in place Photo session completed?…
By-Elections – the election campaign itself
During the election campaign, the priorities should be getting literature through doors,canvassing (phone and doorstep), delivering your digital campaign and then finally getting your vote…
By-Elections – The final week, polling day and beyond
The final week Every week of the campaign, everything should get bigger and bigger! The intensity of the literature and frequency of the canvassing and…
By-Elections – Timings
What is the timetable for a by-election based on? The timetable for a by election is based on: When the seat is declared vacant. This…
By-Elections – Your team and plans
Campaign team In local by-elections, often the team that works the hardest wins. The more activists you can get involved at all levels, the better…
Calculating Costs for Your Budget
Calculating costs for your budget Your budget will help you do two things: make sure there is the money there to pay for all the…
Call-Ins
What is a call-in? A ‘Call in’ is a statutory process, introduced by the Local Government Act 2000, which enables a prescribed number of members…
Campaign Planning
What is a Campaign Plan? A Campaign Plan is a document that sets out how the local Lib Dem team intends to carry out their…
Campaign Team: Building the Team
Everyone recognizes that to win, you need enough people to deliver a winning campaign plan. What is equally important is that you have an engaged…
Campaign Team: Developing Team spirit
Team spirit is important – most, if not everyone, will be a volunteer and any employed staff will be giving more than they are contracted…
Campaign Team: Roles
Team roles • Agent/campaign management • Fundraising/finance management • Media and online communications management • Volunteer management • Candidate (s) • Candidate’s programme and campaign…
Candidate’s Consent to Nomination
Candidate’s consent to nomination This must be witnessed and signed by the candidate. The Returning Officer has no discretion to accept a fax or email.…
Casework
Casework is local issues or problems, affecting a community, street, or individual, that we attempt to do something about in our role as a Lib…
Close of Polls
Close of polls Polling stations close promptly at 10pm. However, since 2013, voters queuing up at a polling station at 10pm waiting to receive their…
Committee Rooms
The ‘Committee Room’ is the HQ of your polling day operation where everything is run from. What features should a good Committee Room include? The…
Completing Your Local Election Expense Return
Expenses Returns for Local Elections We all know that they have to be done but getting round to the election expenses is most activists least…
Copyright and Maps
Copyright and Maps Do not reproduce copyrighted maps without permission. This includes those that originate from the Ordnance Survey, A-Z or other commercial publications. Google…
Copyright: Graphics, Photos, Logos and Newspaper Articles
Graphics and photos Do not reproduce illustrations, cartoons or photos from newspapers/magazines without getting permission. There may be a fee, and there is likely to…
Corrupt and Illegal Practices – Electoral Offences
What are corrupt and illegal practices? Both ordinary law and election law lay down some practices that are offences. These are grounds for prosecution. If…