Info for Candidates

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Information for Candidates

How do you stand as a candidate?

To stand as a candidate, you or someone else declares your intention to stand publicly. This can be done on the radio, in a newspaper or on social media.

It’s also a good idea to let the Crowns & Election team know that you wish to stand. You can call them on 685754 or email elections@gov.im

You will then need to be ‘nominated for election’, where your nomination is accepted by the Returning Officer for the constituency in which you’re standing.

You must hand in both a completed set of nomination papers and a declaration of relevant interests form to the Returning Officer for the constituency in which you’re standing between 10am on Wednesday 18th August 2021 and Wednesday 25th August 2021. The time and place will be organised by the Returning Officer for your constituency. Find out more about the forms here Isle of Man Government - Forms for candidates

You will need someone to propose and second your nomination and at least 20 registered electors from the constituency in which you’re standing to “assent” your nomination.

Find out more useful information about the nomination process here.

 

What’s a Returning Officer?

The Chief Secretary is the person with overall administrative responsibility for the General Election, so is known as the Returning Officer.

Constituency Returning Officers, or Deputy Returning Officers, are the people officially in charge of making sure the election in each constituency is run properly and legally. Each constituency has their own.  They will be appointed by the Chief Secretary.

It’s a good idea for candidates to contact their constituency Returning Officer in the early stages of the election process, as they will be able to give them support and guidance. 

Voters who want to cast their vote by postal ballot will also need to submit an application to the Returning Officer for their constituency.  Postal voting application forms will be available nearer to the election.

 

What will Manx Radio ask of candidates?

Our goal is simple - to make Manx Radio’s General Election website a one-stop hub for voters, bringing together reliable, accessible information about every candidate and every constituency in the upcoming election.

As soon as a candidate declares their intention to stand, we will send them a link to our  Are You Standing?' form.

This allows candidates to introduce themselves to voters in their own words and ensures we have accurate information from the very start.

Using this information, we will publish an initial candidate profile article, giving voters a clear overview of who is standing and why.

All candidates will be invited to record a “Two Minutes to Tell Us” video - a short, direct message to voters explaining why they believe they deserve their support.

When a candidate releases their manifesto, we will invite them to take part in a 25-minute interview with one of our journalists. The full conversation will be available as a podcast, with selected highlights broadcast on air.

Each candidate will have their own dedicated page on our website, which will include:

• Their profile article
• Interview content and clips
• “Two Minutes to Tell Us” video
• Manifesto (where available)

In the final weeks before polling day, we will host constituency debates. Once nominations close and the full list of candidates is confirmed, every candidate will be invited to take part in the debate for their constituency.

From time to time, we may also offer additional opportunities to participate in special features and when we do, those invitations will always be extended to all candidates equally.

Throughout the campaign, we operate under the Elections (Keys and Local Authorities) Act 2020 and the Communications Bill 2018, which require us to provide balanced and fair coverage.

It’s important to note that while the same opportunities will be offered to everyone standing in the election, participation is entirely voluntary.