E

Election campaign
A campaign conducted by a party for electoral purposes. Campaigning for the success of a registered party or category of candidates includes doing so by prejudicing the electoral prospects at the election of any other parties or candidates, or by prejudicing the standing with the electorate of other parties or candidates.

Election material
Material which can reasonably be regarded as intended for either of the following:

(a) to promote or procure electoral success at any relevant election for:

one or more particular registered parties
one or more registered parties who advocate (or do not advocate) particular policies or who otherwise fall within a particular category of such parties, or
candidates who hold (or do not hold) particular opinions or who advocate (or who do not advocate) particular policies or who otherwise fall within a particular category of candidates

(b) to otherwise enhance the standing:

of any such party or parties, or
of any such candidates with the electorate in connection with future relevant elections (whether imminent or otherwise).

Such material is election material even if it can reasonably be regarded as intended to achieve any other purpose as well. It is immaterial whether or not the name of any party or candidate is expressly mentioned.

Electoral Change Order
A piece of secondary legislation, also called a Statutory Instrument, to establish the names and areas of new electoral wards or divisions, and the numbers of councillors to represent them, following a review the electoral arrangements of a local authority.

Electoral division
A specific area of a county or unitary authority, defined for electoral, administrative and representational purposes. Eligible electors vote in whichever ward they are registered for the candidate or candidates they wish to represent them on the county or unitary council.

Electoral equality
When all electors’ votes have the same value.

Electoral imbalance
Where there is a difference between the number of electors represented by a councillor and the average for the local authority. The Boundary Committee for England’s electoral reviews seek to redress electoral imbalances. See also variance.

Electoral purposes
For the purpose of or in connection with promoting or procuring electoral success for a party at any relevant election, electoral purposes is defined as:

(a) standing in the name of a party

(b) being included in a list of candidates submitted by a party in connection with the electionor, or

of a party, or
of any such candidates with the electorate in connection with future relevant elections (whether imminent or otherwise).

Electoral register
Is any of the following:

a register of Parliamentary or local government electors maintained under Section 9 of the Representation of the People Act 1983
a register of relevant citizens of the European Union prepared under Part III of the European Parliamentary Elections (Changes to the Franchise and Qualification of Representatives) Regulations 1994
a register of peers prepared under regulations under Section 3 of the Representation of the People Act 1985

Electoral review
A review of the electoral arrangements of a local authority conducted by the Boundary Committee for England. See also structural review.

Electoral success
For any relevant election, electoral success is:

in relation to a registered party: the return at any such election of candidates standing in the name of the party or included in a list of candidates submitted by the party in connection with the election
in relation to candidates: their return at any such election

Electoral variance
See variance.

Electorate
People who are registered to vote in elections.

Exempt trust
Any trust that was either:

created before 27 July 1999, to which no property has been transferred on or after that date and whose terms have not been varied on or after that date
created by a person who was a permissible donor at the time when the trust was created, or created by the will of a person who was a permissible donor at the time of their death, and to which no property has been transferred except by a person who was a permissible donor at the time of the transfer, provided that the donation has not been made by the exercise of any discretion which is vested by the trust in the trustee or any other person.

Expenditure
For accounting purposes, expenditure means all costs incurred in the course of expending or utilising the party's funds. This includes all claims against the party upon being recognised as liabilities by the trustees, as well as all provisions for depreciation of fixed assets used by the party. Where fixed assets disposed of during the year realise less than their aggregate book value, the resultant loss as calculated for accounting purposes must be included when arriving at the party's 'net income or expenditure for the year' in accordance with accounting standards.

Extraordinary election
An extraordinary election is an election to the Northern Ireland Assembly outside of the usual four-year cycle, held in certain circumstances Section 32 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998. These circumstances are:

MLAs fail to nominate a First Minister or a deputy First Minister with six weeks of either office becoming vacant
the Assembly passes a resolution that it should be dissolved; such a resolution would require the support of two thirds of all MLAs

Extraordinary general election
An extraordinary general election is an election to the Scottish Parliament outside of the usual four-year cycle, held in certain circumstances under Section 3 of the Scotland Act 1998. These circumstances are:

the Scottish Parliament fails to nominate a candidate for First Minister for appointment by the Queen within 28 days of the office becoming vacant, or
two-thirds of all Members of the Scottish Parliament vote to dissolve the Parliament