How to become a councillor
Find out who can become a councillor, what the role involves, and how to stand for election.
Borough Council elections
The Borough of Swindon includes Swindon, Highworth, and the surrounding villages.
The borough has 25 wards and 57 borough councillors. Each councillor serves a four-year term.
Elections were held in May 2026 and take place every four years.
Who can become a borough councillor
To become a borough councillor, you must:
- be aged 18 or over on the day of nomination
- be a British citizen, qualifying Commonwealth citizen, or European Union citizen with retained rights
- live in the United Kingdom
- meet at least one of the local connection requirements
You meet the local connection requirements if, for the previous 12 months, you have:
- been registered to vote in the Borough of Swindon
- lived in the borough
- worked in the borough
- owned property in the borough
What a councillor does
As a borough councillor, you will:
- represent people from your ward at borough level
- help residents with council services and issues affecting the ward
- develop a working knowledge of council services and related issues
- help make decisions or examine decisions through scrutiny
- represent the council on organisations or other bodies in or outside the borough
Allowances, training, and support
You will receive a basic annual allowance of £8,940. You can also claim funding for travel and subsistence.
The Members' Allowance Scheme sets the allowance. An independent panel reviews the scheme each year and recommends any changes.
You will receive an induction and may have access to training and mentoring. Training and mentoring depend on the available budget.
If you belong to a political group, other members of the group will support you. The two largest council groups each have a political assistant.
How to stand for election
To stand in a borough or parish council election, you must complete a nomination paper.
Two electors from the area you want to represent must sign your nomination paper.
For information about standing as a councillor, contact Electoral Services.
Email: elecreg@swindon.gov.uk
Telephone: 01793 464601
Joining a parish council through co-option
A parish council may sometimes appoint a councillor without holding an election. This is called co-option.
Contact the clerk of the relevant parish council if you are interested in being co-opted.