Candidate imprints: Scottish Parliamentary elections and council elections in Scotland

What must you include?

On printed election material such as leaflets and posters, you must include the name and address of:

  • the printer
  • the promoter
  • any person on behalf of whom the material is being published (and who is not the promoter)

On digital election material containing text distributed via the internet, you must include the name and address of:

  • the promoter
  • any person on behalf of whom the material is being published (and who is not the promoter)

The promoter is whoever has caused the material to be published.

You must use an address where you can be contacted. You can use a home address or an office or business address. You can also use a PO Box address or other mailbox service.

If you are putting an advert in a print newspaper, your advert does not need to include the printer’s name and address, but the name and address of the printer of the newspaper must appear on the first or last page of the newspaper. The advert must include the other details as usual.  

If you are being paid to publish election material, the material must include an imprint which includes the details of whoever is paying you. This is because either they are the promoter, or you are publishing the material on their behalf.

In all cases, you must make sure that the imprint lists all the organisations involved in publishing and promoting the material.

It is an offence for a printer or promoter to publish printed election material without an imprint. 

Last updated: 31 October 2023