Your councillor

To stand in a county council election you must be:

• at least 18 years old
• a British, Commonwealth or EU citizen

Additionally, you must have either:

• lived
• worked
• owned or rented land or premises

in the Essex County Council area for the whole 12 months before nominations are made, or been registered as a local government elector from the day of nomination onwards.

Becoming a county councillor

The County Council elections on Thursday 1 May 2025 have been postponed due to devolution. This is initially for a year, but likely to be until elections for the shadow authority take place. Read our news article for more information.

If you’re interested in finding out about the role of a county councillor, read our guide for candidates (PDF, 92.47 KB), contact the election team or visit the Local.gov.uk website and read about being a councillor.

The Local Government Association have created this information guide for disabled people who are considering becoming a councillor.

You can watch the recording from our last Prospective Candidate Event on YouTube.