3,971 candidates stood in the United Kingdom general election of 2015, which was held on 7 May 2015. The deadline for parties and individuals to file candidate nomination papers to the acting returning officer (and the deadline for candidates to withdraw) was 4 p.m. on 9 April 2015. The total number of candidates was 3,971; this is the second-highest number in history, slightly down from the record 4,150 candidates at the last election in 2010.