You have 1,000 followers
You also have: no website, no letters to the editor, no signatures
Nominations close 9 April. It is time to get the real X: the one on the ballot
A lot of activists are still focused online · It is time to get real
We have a path for you to follow, but first look at how tight the election timetable is:
Many activists are building audiences online while nothing is happening on the ground. No letters to the local paper. No venue booked for an evening meeting. No website for their area. Nobody has knocked on a door asking local people who they want on the ballot. The deadline is approaching and the assumption is still that somebody else will organise everything.
That is not how it works. Nobody is coming to deliver this for you. There are only two questions that matter right now:
If you are neither of these yet, the window is already closing. Decide now.
Every date below is fixed by law. Miss one and you are off the ballot. These are England dates. See the By Nation section for Scotland and Wales.
After a legal challenge by Reform UK, the government reversed plans to delay 30 council elections. All 136 councils will vote on 7 May.
Official Notice of Election for the Scottish Parliament published. Nomination packs available from Constituency Returning Officers. Nominations accepted from 17 March.
Your local council publishes the official Notice of Election. The formal nomination period begins. Nomination packs available from your council's Electoral Services office.
Nomination papers for the Scottish Parliament election must be submitted to the Constituency Returning Officer by 4pm. Includes a £500 deposit. Party regional lists also due by 4pm this day. This is separate from the England and Wales deadline.
Official candidate lists for all Scottish Parliament constituencies and regions published, following the close of nominations the previous day. Scottish local council elections are not held in 2026; next Scottish local elections are 2027.
The absolute final deadline to submit nomination papers to your Returning Officer. Papers must be submitted in person by 4pm. Do not leave this to the last day. Arrange an informal check with your council first.
Your council publishes the confirmed list of all candidates standing in each ward. Your name should appear here if your nomination was accepted.
Your supporters must be registered to vote by midnight on 20 April. Make sure every Restore Britain member in your ward is registered. Share the link: gov.uk/registertovote
Members who may not be able to vote in person should apply for a postal vote. This is especially important in island and rural constituencies where getting to a polling station can be difficult.
Voters who need someone to vote on their behalf must apply by 5pm. Also the deadline for free Voter Authority Certificate (photo ID) applications in England.
Election day across England (local councils), Scotland (Scottish Parliament), and Wales (Senedd). Your candidates need scrutineers at the count. Results typically declared 8 May.
Where are you on this path?
Please share on X and tell others where you are. When one person shows they are stepping forward, others will join them
You were willing to get followers. The question now is whether you are willing to lead. This is the path from where you are to where you need to be, with every practical step marked
Find out exactly what you are working with before you commit to anything.
Nothing is more deflating for supporters than telling people you are running and having nowhere to point them. Get this in place first.
[email protected] or [email protected]. Or if you prefer your own domain name, we can help with that too.Website, Nextcloud platform, and branch email addresses can all be provided quickly. Tell us your constituency and what you need and we will get things moving.
Go to Setup Your Branch →The most important legal question to resolve early. Your options depend on whether Restore Britain is a registered party with the Electoral Commission by the time you submit your nomination papers.
As of March 2026, Restore Britain's EC registration application is pending. The EC has statutory timescales but applications can be delayed. Do not assume registration will be confirmed before 9 April.
Check current status: search.electoralcommission.org.uk →
You have the right to use a custom description of up to 6 words on your ballot paper. No EC registration required. No permission from anyone. Write it on your nomination form.
Suggested wording for all materials: "Standing as an Independent. Aligned with Restore Britain."
This is where voters, journalists, the BBC, and council election pages get their candidate information. Not being on this list means you do not effectively exist to most of the public searching for who is standing.
WhoCanIVoteFor.co.uk · BBC election results pages · local council election pages · Electoral Commission data · most local newspaper election coverage. One entry feeds all of them.
Go to candidates.democracyclub.org.uk →The legal process that puts you on the ballot. Every step below must be done before 4pm on 9 April (England and Wales). Scotland: 1 April 4pm.
The first public action is the hardest. Every one after it is easier. You do not need to feel ready.
Once your nomination is confirmed on 10 April, produce your leaflet. Walk your ward delivering it yourself. You will learn every street and conversations will happen.
Every printed election leaflet, poster, and flyer must carry a legal imprint. Distributing material without one is a criminal offence. The same requirement applies to digital materials.
The imprint must state the name and address of the printer, the promoter (person paying), and the person on whose behalf it is produced.
This text must be legible. Set it in small print at the base of the reverse side. Do not omit it.
A significant number of people who will not stand would happily spend two hours on a Saturday delivering leaflets, post once a week in their local Facebook group, book a room at a pub for a meet-and-greet, write one letter to the local newspaper, or contribute £20 toward print costs. Any of these is more useful than another post that goes nowhere.
If you are not ready to run, help prepare the ground for someone who will. That is still organising. Use the Nextcloud platform and the tools on this page to coordinate with others in your area who are thinking the same thing.
Every penny you spend on your campaign must be declared. Overspending is a criminal offence. The formula is straightforward.
The main event. All 32 London boroughs, 32 metropolitan boroughs, and a mix of county, unitary and district councils across England.
5,014SEATS ACROSS 136 AUTHORITIES
All 129 MSP seats are up for election. This is a Holyrood election, not local councils. Scottish local elections are next in 2027. New constituency boundaries apply following the 2025 boundary review.
129SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT SEATS
The most significant reform to Welsh democracy since devolution. 96 MS seats (up from 60), 16 new constituencies, and a new Closed Proportional List voting system.
96SENEDD SEATS
Northern Ireland's next local council and Assembly elections are expected in May 2027, not 2026. No action needed for NI this cycle, but start planning now for 2027.
2027NEXT ELECTIONS
A good campaign needs more than a willing candidate. These are the systems every Restore Britain local branch should have in place before they knock on the first door.
The Restore Britain platform gives every constituency the tools to campaign professionally, even with a small team and limited budget.
Before anything else: find out whether your ward has an election this May and who is already standing. This tells you whether there is a gap to fill, and confirms the ground you are working with.
Your Nextcloud instance gives you: shared document storage, Talk video calls, Deck task boards, shared calendars, and group file folders. Everything a campaign team needs in one place.
→Update your constituency's public page, post news, and add events directly from the Directus CMS. No technical skills needed: just log in and edit.
→Your constituency's public-facing page at [slug].restorebritain.space. Voters looking you up before election day will land here. Keep it current.
↗The official, legally authoritative guidance for candidates and agents at English local government elections. Required reading. PDF download available.
↗Share this link with every supporter in your ward. They must be registered by midnight on 20 April 2026 to vote for you on 7 May. Takes 5 minutes.
Nomination papers close 9 April. Every seat contested is a statement. Every seat won is a foundation.