Council elections

Frequently asked questions

1. Why stand?

Council needs passionate, committed members ready to bring their day-to-day experiences, and those of their local members, to bear in helping the ICAEW deal with the challenges of today and plan for the challenges of tomorrow. It's the Council members' real-life experiences in their 'day jobs' that are so valuable in informing our strategy.

Its also very important to ensure that our members' views are heard and our members' needs are considered. Similarly, being a Council member is a key element in making sure that our local members are kept informed of developments and are able to share best practice with members elsewhere.

From the individual's perspective, being on Council is, of course, a huge honour which will mean you meet fascinating people, enjoy valuable networking opportunities and ensure you are better informed about all the issues facing our profession. 

• Further information on our governance structure and the role of Council

2. Am I eligible to stand?

To stand for election, you need to meet the eligibility criteria:

1. Be a ACA or FCA member of ICAEW
2. Completion of the Candidate Statement and Declarations of Interest Form
3. Receipt of your five nominators;
4. A clean disciplinary background check;
5. Candidacy approval from the Nominating Committee.
6. You must also have a registered address in the constituency you are standing in, by the qualifying date

3. What is the term of office on Council?

Members are elected to Council for a term of four years and runs from the June AGM. A Term may be shorter if a vacancy arises due to a by-election. In this instance, the candidate elected will serve the rest of the term of the candidate previously elected.

4. How do I put myself forward as a candidate?

1. Complete you application online via the ICAEW Nomination system
2. Submit your candidate statement and declarations of interest form via the template provided
3. You will need five nominators from your constituency

Further guidance is in our candidate support pack

5. What is the Candidate Vetting Process?

Upon completion of your candidate application, you will become a Provisional Candidate. The ICAEW Nominating Committee will meet after the closure of the Nominations Process and will review each candidacy. For further information, on conflicts of interest, please review the 'Declaration of Interest Policy'.

As members of the Vetting Committee, current office holders will not nominate a candidate in the elections.

The returning officer must not accept any nomination which:
1. is incomplete or which is received after the deadline for nominations. 
2. in the opinion of the Nominating Committee, represents a potential for conflict of interest to the extent that, in managing this conflict, the member maybe unable to fulfil the role of Council member to the standard that would be reasonably expected by the members.

6. What else can I do to canvass my constituents for votes?

Canvassing constituents for their votes and making yourself visible during the voting period will play an important part in your electoral campaign. Here are some things we recommend: 

• Video statement
  A short 60-90 second video is a great way to tell the constituency about yourself, what you want to achieve on Council and why they should vote for you.
• Social media
  Social media is a great way to reach your constituents and we encourage you to use these channels as a way of communicating with your voters. For example, you could add a web link to your candidate statement, or perhaps post to the ICAEW Facebook or Twitter accounts.
• Networking events
  By taking part in ICAEW events, and particularly by joining in with local member groups, you can meet your prospective voters face to face, tell them about the elections and encourage them to support you.

7. What support will ICAEW provide to candidates?

ICAEW will provide support and guidance to all candidates with their campaigns:

• Candidate statement – we will publish your candidate statement on the ICAEW website, and also promote it more widely to your constituents.
• Emailing constituents - during the ballot period, ICAEW will send out two emails to members asking them to vote for the candidates of their choice. We will use your candidate statement (and video) to tell members about you and your fellow candidates.