Standing for Election
The Network Assembly has twenty members: one returned from each of the twelve constituencies and eight returned from Network lists. Anyone who satisfies the qualifications below may stand as a constituency candidate or as a candidate on a Network list at the first general election on Thursday 3 December 2026. This page sets out who may stand, how nominations are made and the rules that apply during the campaign.
Nominations are administered by the Elections Commission of the Velocity Interoperability Network and by the returning officers it appoints. Full written guidance for candidates and agents is issued with the nomination papers from 16 October 2026; the summary on this page does not replace it.
Who may stand. The qualifications are determined on the day of nomination.
- Age and registration
- A candidate must be aged 18 or over on the day of nomination and must be on the electoral register of the Network, in any constituency, on that day. A constituency candidate need not be registered in the constituency for which they stand.
- One candidacy only
- A person may stand in one constituency only, and may not stand both as a constituency candidate and on a Network list. A person whose name appears on more than one nomination paper is disqualified from all of them.
- Offices that disqualify
- Commissioners and staff of the Commission, returning officers and their staff, judges of the Network's courts, and serving members of the Network's police and defence forces may not stand while they hold office. A person disqualified by order of a court following conviction for an electoral offence may not stand for five years from the order.
- Network lists
- A Network list is a list of between two and eight candidates submitted by a group of electors. Lists are ranked; seats allocated to a list are filled in the order the candidates appear. Candidates on a list must each satisfy the qualifications above.
Nomination step by step. The steps below apply to constituency candidates and to Network lists alike; the requirements that differ are set out in the table that follows.
Step 1: Obtain nomination papers
Nomination papers for constituency candidates are issued by the returning officer of the constituency, and for Network lists by the Commission, from the publication of the notice of election on Friday 16 October 2026.
Step 2: Collect the required signatures
A constituency nomination must be signed by ten electors registered in that constituency. A Network list nomination must be signed by fifty electors, of whom no more than ten may be registered in any one constituency. An elector may sign only one nomination of each kind.
Step 3: Appoint an election agent
Every candidate and list must appoint an election agent, who is responsible for the campaign's expenses and for its dealings with the returning officer. A candidate may act as their own agent. The appointment is made on the nomination paper.
Step 4: Deliver the nomination
Completed nomination papers, with the candidate's consent to nomination and the agent's appointment, must be delivered to the returning officer or the Commission by 16:00 on Friday 30 October 2026. No deposit is required. Nominations delivered late are not accepted for any reason.
Step 5: Await the decision on the nomination
The returning officer examines every nomination and decides whether it is valid by 12:00 on Monday 2 November 2026. A nomination is invalid only if the papers are not in the required form, the candidate is disqualified, or the signatures are insufficient. The statement of persons nominated is published the same day.
| Requirement | Constituency candidate | Network list |
|---|---|---|
| Nomination paper issued by | Returning officer of the constituency | The Commission |
| Signatures required | 10 electors of the constituency | 50 electors, no more than 10 from any constituency |
| Number of candidates | One | Between two and eight, ranked |
| Description on the ballot paper | Up to six words, or none | The name of the list, up to six words |
| Election agent | Required; the candidate may act | Required; a candidate on the list may act |
| Deposit | None | None |
| Deadline | 16:00, Friday 30 October 2026 | 16:00, Friday 30 October 2026 |
Withdrawal. A candidate may withdraw by written notice to the returning officer before the close of nominations, but not afterwards. The name of a candidate who dies after the close of nominations is removed from the ballot paper; if a constituency candidate dies, the poll in that constituency is countermanded and held afresh on a date fixed by the Commission.
Conduct of the campaign. The campaign period runs from 16 October 2026 to the close of poll. The rules below are enforced by returning officers and by the Commission.
| Matter | Rule |
|---|---|
| Campaign material | Must carry the name of the agent responsible. Material that imitates a poll card, ballot paper or notice of the Commission is prohibited. |
| Expenses | Every item of campaign expenditure must be authorised by the agent and recorded. A return of expenses is delivered to the Commission by 15 January 2027 and published. |
| Polling stations | No campaign material may be displayed, and no canvassing may take place, within a polling station or its approaches on polling day. |
| Polling and counting agents | Candidates and lists may appoint agents to observe the poll at each polling station and to attend the count. Appointments are notified to the returning officer by 26 November 2026. |
| Use of the register | Copies of the register supplied to agents may be used only for the purposes of the election and must be destroyed once the result is declared. |
| Complaints | Complaints about the conduct of a campaign are made in writing to the returning officer, who reports them to the Commission. Serious matters are referred to the Network's police. |
After the poll. Constituency members are elected by simple majority; list seats are allocated in proportion to Network votes, as described on the Results page. Every candidate receives the result of their constituency, including the number of rejected papers, from the returning officer before it is declared. A candidate or elector who considers that an election was not properly conducted may present a petition to the Network's courts within fourteen days of the publication of results.
Enquiries from prospective candidates and agents may be sent to contact@elections.gov.vin. All dates are set out on the Election Timetable.