Challenge an election result
Serve your election petition
You should only contact the people you’re complaining about (‘the respondents’) once the Elections Petitions Office has stamped your petition. You must give (‘serve’) them the petition within 5 working days of paying the ‘security for costs’.
The person who won the election must be one of the respondents, even if you do not think they’ve done anything wrong.
What you must send
Send each respondent copies of:
- a letter (‘notice of presentation’) from your solicitor if you have one
- the petition you sent to the Election Petitions Office
- the letter from the Election Petitions Office showing the amount of ‘security for costs’ and how you’re paying (cash or guarantees)
- promises (‘affidavits’) from the people who guarantee to pay (‘sureties’) if relevant
You must also send copies to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Director of Public Prosecutions
Rose Court
2 Southwark Bridge
London
SE1 9HS
You can send your documents:
- in person
- by first class post
- through a solicitor
The court will consider documents to be served 2 days after they were posted if that’s a working day, or the next working day if it is not.