BTEC Level 3 Uniformed Public Services.
Unit 1: Government Policies and the Public Services.
Assignment 2: Election Processes.
P3: Explain the electoral processes used in the UK elections.
Who is entitled to stand for election?
The Candidates who are standing for an election must receive authorization from the party that they
are standing for. The have to be nominated by at least 10 registered electors in their constituency.
The candidates are required to be a citizen of either Britain, the Commonwealth or the Republic of
Ireland. They must be over 18 years of age and they have to pay a £500 deposit which is only
returned to them if they receive 5% of the total votes that are cast.
An individual cannot stand for an election if they are a member of the armed forces or the police
service nor a civil servant or judge. They will also not be allowed to stand for election if they are of
poor financial standing or if they have been sentenced to a prison term of 3 months or more. They
will not be permitted to put themselves forward as a candidate if they are employed by the local
authority.
What is the candidate election process?
In some cases before an election takes place the number of candidates a party has may outweigh
the number of seats the party holds. This requires a selection policy within the party to pick out the
most suitable candidates to put forward for election. One method of doing this involves drawing up
a list of potential candidates, sifting through applications and CVs to narrow down the number of
potential candidates. After determining which individuals met the criteria they would have
background checks performed on them, aptitude tests and interviews carried out. After this, the
candidates would be decided. If a sitting MP wants to stand again they are normally automatically
approved.
In some cases some parties may draw up shortlists based on gender, age, ethnicity or race in order
to increase the diversity of the party.
The time between elections.
A General Election happens every 3.5 – 5 years. It is called depending on when the ruling party think
they have the best chance of winning the majority of seats. The Prime Minister meets with their
senior cabinet ministers and will then make a final decision.
A Local Election happens every 4 years with the most recent one being held in May of 2019.
What are the types of publicity and electioneering activities that might take place?
Media Coverage: Interviews with the media in order to get more attention.
Door to door canvassing: Going round your constituency’s doors to ask questions and find
out what they want done or changed.
Posters and Leaflets: People may stop and read about your party, therefore gathering more
attention.
Negative campaigning: Talking negatively about other candidates or Parties, making your
own sound more attractive.
Unit 1: Government Policies and the Public Services.
Assignment 2: Election Processes.
P3: Explain the electoral processes used in the UK elections.
Who is entitled to stand for election?
The Candidates who are standing for an election must receive authorization from the party that they
are standing for. The have to be nominated by at least 10 registered electors in their constituency.
The candidates are required to be a citizen of either Britain, the Commonwealth or the Republic of
Ireland. They must be over 18 years of age and they have to pay a £500 deposit which is only
returned to them if they receive 5% of the total votes that are cast.
An individual cannot stand for an election if they are a member of the armed forces or the police
service nor a civil servant or judge. They will also not be allowed to stand for election if they are of
poor financial standing or if they have been sentenced to a prison term of 3 months or more. They
will not be permitted to put themselves forward as a candidate if they are employed by the local
authority.
What is the candidate election process?
In some cases before an election takes place the number of candidates a party has may outweigh
the number of seats the party holds. This requires a selection policy within the party to pick out the
most suitable candidates to put forward for election. One method of doing this involves drawing up
a list of potential candidates, sifting through applications and CVs to narrow down the number of
potential candidates. After determining which individuals met the criteria they would have
background checks performed on them, aptitude tests and interviews carried out. After this, the
candidates would be decided. If a sitting MP wants to stand again they are normally automatically
approved.
In some cases some parties may draw up shortlists based on gender, age, ethnicity or race in order
to increase the diversity of the party.
The time between elections.
A General Election happens every 3.5 – 5 years. It is called depending on when the ruling party think
they have the best chance of winning the majority of seats. The Prime Minister meets with their
senior cabinet ministers and will then make a final decision.
A Local Election happens every 4 years with the most recent one being held in May of 2019.
What are the types of publicity and electioneering activities that might take place?
Media Coverage: Interviews with the media in order to get more attention.
Door to door canvassing: Going round your constituency’s doors to ask questions and find
out what they want done or changed.
Posters and Leaflets: People may stop and read about your party, therefore gathering more
attention.
Negative campaigning: Talking negatively about other candidates or Parties, making your
own sound more attractive.
