The last Cornwall Council Elections took place on Thursday 6 May 2021. Find out more about the 2021 Cornwall Council Elections. The next Cornwall Council Elections are on 1 May 2025.
Campaigning for the election
Candidates and their Agents must follow certain rules when becoming a prospective candidate. They must follow the Code of Conduct for Campaigners and the law on imprints on printed material. The Electoral Commission has provided guidance on these which can be found at:
Their wider guidance includes advice on spending, donations, nominations, postal votes, polling day, the verification and count, what happens after the result has been declared and also includes a number of resources.
The full guidance can be found here:
Guidance for Candidates and Agents at local government elections in England | Electoral Commission
Canvassing is an integral part of the democratic process. It is a great way to engage with constituents. Canvassing encourages voters to participate and helps you to ensure you know what issues are affecting them. The Local Government Association has provided a useful guide for councillors and candidates. It sets out seven principles and practical hints for safe canvassing and can be found here:-
Helpful resources for campaigning online
The BBC has a helpful basic guide to getting on-line called BBC First Click Beginners Guide
The Local Government Association has useful advice for Councillors on using social media:
All the main social media companies have helpful guides to using their tools.
Could you be a Councillor?
Cornwall needs people from different backgrounds to stand to become a Councillor. The qualities you need are a desire and passion to make a difference and improve the community you represent.
If you are passionate about your local community, we need you. Councillors make a huge difference to the quality of life for local people. We need people from all backgrounds and experiences who reflect the whole of Cornwall to stand for election.
Cornwall Council has 87 electoral divisions and there is a Councillor for each one. Information on electoral division can be found here:
Boundary reviews and changes - Cornwall Council
The average time commitment over a 7 day week for a Cornwall Councillor is 32.7 hours. This can vary depending on your case load at a specific time, whether you have a special responsibility, such as being a Committee Chairman, sit on an Outside Body, and your ways of working.
There are 213 parishes in Cornwall which are a combination of Parish and Town Councils, a City Council and parish meetings. For convenience these are referred to collectively as local councils. More information on these Councils can be found here:-
General information on parish and town councils - Cornwall Council
Local Councils | Cornwall Association of Local Councils (cornwallalc.org.uk)