Derbyshire County Council elections 1 May 2025

Elections for all 64 county councillors in Derbyshire will take place on Thursday 1 May 2025.

Chesterfield Borough Council will administer elections for the eight county council seats in the borough of Chesterfield.

This election will be based on new county boundaries.

Standing as a candidate in the Derbyshire County Council election on 1 May 2025

To stand as a candidate in this election you must be:

• at least 18 years old
• a British citizen, an eligible Commonwealth citizen or a citizen of the Republic of Ireland, a qualifying EU citizen or an EU citizen with retained rights

You must also meet at least one of the following four qualifications:

1. you are, and will continue to be, registered as a local government elector for the local authority area in which you wish to stand from the day of your nomination onwards
2. you have occupied as owner or tenant any land or other premises in the local authority area during the whole of the 12 months before the day of your nomination and the day of election
3. your main or only place of work during the 12 months prior to the day of your nomination and the day of election has been in the local authority area
4. you have lived in the local authority area during the whole of the 12 months before the day of your nomination and the day of election

Further information on becoming a candidate for this election is available on the Electoral Commission website.

Prospective candidate briefing

The Deputy Returning Officer will be hosting an event for any prospective candidates intending to stand at the forthcoming election and their agents. The briefing will take place at 6pm on Tuesday 18 March in Committee Room 1, Town Hall, Rose Hill, Chesterfield, S40 1LP.

The nomination process

Nominations to stand for election as a candidate for the Derbyshire County Council election will be accepted by the Deputy Returning Officer at the Town Hall, Rose Hill, Chesterfield, S40 1LP between the hours of 10am and 4pm from Tuesday 25 March until close of nominations at 4pm on Wednesday 2 April.

Completed nomination forms must be submitted in person to the Deputy Returning Officer at the address and times stated above. Please contact electoral services by email at elections@chesterfield.gov.uk or call 01246 936860 to make an appointment to have your nomination checked prior to formal submission.

Local Government Elections Nomination Pack

(PDF 455 KB)

Guidance for candidates and agents is available from the Electoral Commission.

Voting on Thursday 1 May 2025

To vote in this election, you must be registered to vote by 11.59pm on Friday 11 April.

If you’ve never registered, have recently moved to a different address, or changed your name, please register to vote online as soon as possible. You can also apply by completing a paper application form.

If you need help registering to vote, or want to request a paper application form, please email elections@chesterfield.gov.uk or call 01246 345345.

Voter photo ID

You need photo identification (ID) to vote in this election.

The UK Government introduced a requirement in 2023 for voters to show photo ID when voting at a polling station at all elections in England.

This requirement will apply again at the Derbyshire County Council election taking place on Thursday 1 May 2025. 

At this election you will need to bring acceptable photo ID to be able to vote at a polling station. Those voting by postal vote do not need to provide ID as separate security measures are already in place for voting by post.

Which forms of ID can I use to vote at a polling station?

You may already have a form of photo ID that is acceptable. You can use any of the following:

• passport
• driving licence (including provisional license)
• Blue Badge
• certain concessionary travel cards
• identity card with PASS mark (Proof of Age Standards Scheme)
• biometric immigration document
• defence identity card
• certain national identity cards

For more information on which forms of photo ID will be accepted, visit the Electoral Commission website or call their helpline on 0800 328 0280.

If you have a form of accepted ID that is out of date but still looks like you, you can use it to vote.

You must show the original version of your photo ID when voting and not a photocopy.

What if I don’t have an accepted form of photo ID?

If you don’t already have an accepted form of photo ID, or you’re not sure whether your photo ID still looks like you, you can apply for a free voter ID document, known as a Voter Authority Certificate.

You need to be registered to vote before you apply for a Voter Authority Certificate. If you are not registered to vote already, you can register to vote online. The deadline to register to vote for this election is 11.59pm on Friday 11 April.

Once you are registered to vote you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate online.

Alternatively, you can complete a paper application form and send this to the Electoral Services team. If you need any help applying for a Voter Authority Certificate or want to request an application form, email elections@chesterfield.gov.uk or call 01246 345345.

The deadline to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate for use at this election is 5pm on Wednesday 23 April, but you should apply as soon as possible in case we need to check any details with you.

What information do I need to give when I apply for a Voter Authority Certificate?

When applying for a Voter Authority Certificate, you will need to provide your:

• name
• address
• date of birth
• National Insurance number

If you don’t know your National Insurance number, or don’t have one, you can still apply. However, we will contact you to request alternative proof of your identity.

You will also need to submit a passport type photograph with your application. 

Voting at a polling station

When you arrive at the polling station, a member of staff will:

1. ask you for your name and address so they can find you on the electoral register
2. ask for your photo ID or Voter Authority Certificate and check it is acceptable
3. if your ID is acceptable, they will give you your ballot paper and direct you to vote in a polling booth as usual

A private area will be available at the polling station, so you can choose to have your photo ID viewed in private if you like. This might be a separate room, or an area separated by a privacy screen, depending on the polling station.

Staff at the polling station are there to help, so if you need assistance at any point, just ask.

Other ways to vote

You can apply to vote by post or by proxy (where you appoint someone to vote on your behalf).

To vote by post you’ll need to complete a postal vote application form. The deadline to apply to vote by post is 5pm on Monday 14 April.

You can now apply for a postal vote online. If you are not able to complete the online application, you can download a paper application form from the download and print a paper postal vote form. You will need to have your National Insurance ready when applying to vote by post.

To vote by proxy, you’ll need to complete a proxy vote application form. The deadline to apply to vote by proxy is 5pm on Wednesday 23 April.

In some circumstances, you can now apply for a proxy vote online. If you are not able to complete the online application, you can download and print a paper proxy vote form. You will need to have your National Insurance number ready when applying to vote by proxy. 

If you appoint a proxy to vote on your behalf, it is important to stress that the proxy will then need to vote at your allocated polling station in the Chesterfield Borough area. If they would prefer to vote by post, the proxy needs to fill in a postal proxy application form as well and this must be returned by the postal voting deadline of 5pm on Monday 14 April.

For more information about postal and proxy voting, visit The Electoral Commission website or call their helpline on 0800 328 0280.

Election notices