Will you stand for election to General Synod?

House of Laity

You may be eligible to stand for election to the House of Laity even if you are not eligible to vote in the House of Laity elections. 

To stand for election to the House of Laity of the General Synod, a person must: 

• Have received Holy Communion in accordance with the practice of the Church of England, or a Church in communion with it, at least three times in the twelve months preceding the date of the dissolution of the General Synod. 
• Be confirmed (or ready and willing to be confirmed), or be a communicant member of a Church that subscribes to the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. 
• Be 18 years of age or older on the date of the dissolution of the General Synod (expected July 2026). 

In addition, the person’s name must either: 

• Be on the electoral roll of a parish within the Diocese, or 
• Be on the community roll of the Cathedral Church of the Diocese. 

House of Clergy 

To be eligible to stand for election to the House of Clergy in the Diocese or other electoral area, a person must: 

• Have been ordained as a priest or deacon; 
• Not be in episcopal orders; and 
• Fall into one of the following categories: 
  • A qualified elector in the Diocese or other electoral area; or 
  • A person who has written permission from the Bishop to officiate in the Diocese and who would be a qualified elector if they were: 
    • a member of a deanery synod in the Diocese or other electoral area; or 
    • in the Diocese in Europe, a member of a deanery or archdeaconry synod; or 
    • in the Diocese of Sodor and Man, a member of the Diocesan Synod. 

A person may stand for election if they are normally a qualified elector in the universities and TEIs constituency, provided that: 

• They choose to stand in the Diocese or electoral area instead of the universities and TEIs constituency 
• If they decide to stand in the Diocese/area rather than in the universities and TEIs constituency, they must inform both: 
  • the Presiding Officer for the Diocese, and 
  • the Presiding Officer for the universities and TEIs constituency 
• They are beneficed in, or licensed to, a parish in the Diocese or other electoral area 
• They are licensed to serve as a vicar in a team ministry in a benefice in the Diocese or other electoral area 
• They would otherwise be eligible to vote in the Diocese or electoral area (they meet all the usual requirements to be an elector in that Diocese except that they are currently registered as an elector in the universities and TEIs constituency). 

The National Society for Education is hosting an evening for young adults interested in participating in General Synod. The sessions are free to sign up to and will take place over Zoom. 

Sign up to the session here: 

Wednesday 22nd July 2026 

Inside Synod: Highlights, Hopes and Next Steps 

Post-Synod debrief and feedback 

The nomination and election process will be managed by Civica, an external election platform used for General Elections in the UK. 

Electors will be invited to submit written questions for candidates between 14 August 2026 and 9 September 2026 (5pm). 

Candidates will then be invited to provide written answers to these questions. All responses will be published online and circulated to the electorate by email on 17 September 2026.

All candidates for general synod will be invited to submit an election address, which will be made available to electors through the elections portal. 

Election addresses submitted by the deadline of Monday 7 September will be published on our website. Addresses received after the deadline may be uploaded at the discretion of the Presiding Officer. 

The timetable and deadlines for Deanery Synod elections are governed by the Church Representation Rules, whereas the timetable and deadlines for General Synod elections are set nationally and outlined in General Synod Elections 2026: Notes for the Guidance of Dioceses. 

The Deanery Synod House of Laity forms the electorate for the General Synod House of Laity. It is therefore essential that both election timetables are followed precisely to ensure all eligible electors are properly included and able to vote.

Key Dates for 2026

To ensure each qualified elector is eligible to vote in the General Synod elections, please note the following essential deadlines: 

By 31 May 2026 

• APCMs must be held. 
• Deanery Synod Lay Representatives are elected. 

By 1 July 2026 

• Parishes must send details of Deanery Synod Representatives to Deanery Synod Lay Chair and Sarah Hedley

14 July 2026 

• The Diocesan Electoral Registration Officer provides each Deanery Lay Secretary with the list of electors. 

By 20 July 2026 

• Deanery Lay Secretaries confirm or amend elector details. 

27 July 2026 

• Final elector lists submitted to the Presiding Officer, no amendments can be made after this date.

14 July 2026 

• General Synod election process formally begins. 

14 August 2026 

• Nominations open for voting.

7 September 2026 

• Nominations close.

21 September 2026

• Voting for candidates opens via Civica portal

12 – 13 October 2026

• Voting closes on Civica and counting the results begins.

19 October 2026

• Results declared.