Elections

The next elections for the whole of the Town Council were scheduled for Thursday 2nd May 2024. However, due to only 12 people standing for election across the five wards, and there being 16 vacancies in total, there will not be an opportunity to vote on the candidates and they are all elected uncontested.

Town Councillors will serve a five year term and the elections in 2029 will then revert to a four year term.

The Statement of Persons Nominated, published on 8th April 2024, can be viewed here:

Blandford Forum – Statement of Persons Nominated

The Notices of Uncontested Elections, published on 8th April 2024, can be viewed here:

Blandford Forum – Notices of Uncontested Election

The wards in Blandford Forum cover:

Blandford Central Ward – six

Langton St Leonards Ward – three

Old Town Ward – three

Hilltop Ward – two

Badbury Heights Ward – two

The Notices of Election were published on 11th March 2024 and can be viewed below:

Notice of election – Parish and town areas – 2 May 2024. v110324

Dorset Council Elections

There will be a Dorset Council election, with two candidates being selected to represent the Blandford area.

Notice of election – Dorset Council – 2 May 2024 v110324

The Dorset Council is the elections authority and the staff will administrate the local elections. More information about the local elections can be found on the Dorset Council webpage.

Register to Vote

Please follow this link to register to vote online so you can exercise your right to vote in local and general elections.

Photo ID for Voting Purposes

Please follow this link to check you have the correct form of photo identification for voting in the May elections. If not, you can apply for a voting certificate.

Information provided before the Statement of Persons Nominated was published on 8th April 2024:

Become a Councillor

If you would like to spare a few hours a week supporting and representing your community, by standing for election, please follow this link to find out if you are eligible and please do not hesitate to contact the Town Council for information about what we do and what is involved.

You can also view the following videos for a deeper insight into what the role entails:

• What do parish and town councils do in your community? 
• What do parish and town councils do across Dorset?
• Why becoming a parish or town councillor in Dorset matters
• Parish and Town Councils are for Everyone

This link provides some answers to questions you might have about the role, and it is worth taking a look at our Services tab and the drop-down menu to get a better understanding of the responsibilities we have at this level.

You may also wish to attend some council meetings between now and submitting your nomination papers, to make sure this is something you would like to do. Please visit the Meetings page for the dates and times of our meetings. Please also take the opportunity of speaking to Councillors about their experiences.

The Dorset Association of Parish and Town Councils has provided us with this Dorset Council Area Elections Toolkit, prepared in conjunction with the Dorset Council. It includes a timeline, and an explanation of the nomination process and where to drop of your nomination forms.

This Electoral Commission link also provides a useful publication to read.