Anyone can be nominated to become a Parish Councillor, provided:

• You are a British, Commonwealth, Republic of Ireland or European Union Citizen and aged 18 or over and,
• You are on and you continue to be on the electoral register for Chineham Parish or 
• During the whole of the previous12 months you have owned or tenanted land or premises within Chineham Parish or
• During the whole of the previous 12 months your principle or only place of work has been within Chineham Parish or
• During the whole of the previous 12 months you have lived in Chineham Parish or within 4.8 kilometres of it.

You may not become a Parish Councillor if:

• You are a paid employee of the Parish Council
• Within the previous five years you have been convicted of an offence and have been sentenced to not less than three months' imprisonment (whether suspended or not) without the option of a fine
• Within the previous 12 months you have been subject to a bankruptcy restrictions order or an interim order
• If you are subject to any enactment relating to corrupt or illegal practices.

Parish Council Elections

Ordinary Parish Council elections take place every four years - usually on the first Thursday in May unless this clashes with a parliamentary general election. There was a Parish Council election for Chineham scheduled for 2nd May 2019. As there were only nine candidates for the nine Parish Councillor positions, the election did not go ahead as it is regarded as an 'uncontested election' and therefore the nine candidates are elected automatically. The Notice of the Uncontested Election can be viewed on Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council website. The next scheduled Parish Council election is scheduled for May 2023.

A Parish Councillor will serve for a period of four years if elected at an ordinary election unless they resign before the end of that period or become disqualified for any reason. If a vacancy occurs in between the scheduled four yearly elections, there may need to be an extra election to fill the vacant position.

The Parish Council will publicise forthcoming elections well in advance. Nominations must include a proposer and seconder who must be electors in the area for which the candidate is seeking nomination. Prospective candidates are advised to read the guidance and resources that are available on the Electoral Commission website.

Co-option

When insufficient candidates are proposed for seats at an election, the council may choose someone to fill a vacancy through co-option.