If you hold a non-selective hustings then the spending will not be regulated.
Usually spending on a hustings is low, and it is unlikely that spending on a selective hustings alone will reach a spending limit or require you to register with the Electoral Commission.
If you hold a selective hustings, you should keep a record of how much you spend, along with any other spending on regulated campaigning, and be aware of the registration thresholds and spending limits.
There are spending limits in each election. During the regulated period before certain major elections, campaigners will be required to register if they spend over a certain amount.
If you spend a large amount of money on organising a selective hustings, or you engage in further regulated campaign activity during a regulated period, then you may need to be aware of the spending limits and registration thresholds.
In some cases the candidate or party will have to account for the spending incurred on a selective hustings. This may be the case for a hustings in any election.
If a candidate or party pays a fee to attend the hustings (whether it is selective or non-selective), this will count as election spending and must be reported in the relevant return.
In some hustings, the costs of putting on the event will count as election spending for the candidates or parties involved. This will be the case if the hustings is run for the benefit of those candidates or parties.
If you think this may be the case, you should contact us before you hold the hustings.