This guidance covers print and digital imprints for non-party campaigners at Scottish Parliamentary elections and council elections in Scotland.
It incorporates relevant contains sections from both the UK statutory guidance and the Scottish statutory guidance on digital imprints. Showing that you have acted in accordance with either of these guidance documents provides a statutory defence.
Where the guidance says that something ‘must’ be done, this means that it is a requirement in either primary or secondary legislation.
The guidance uses ‘you’ to mean both the promoter of the material, and anyone else on whose behalf it has been published.
Key terms are explained throughout the guidance, and also provided in an alphabetical list at the end of the document.
The examples of digital material used in this guidance relate to functionality on digital platforms as of June 2025. The general principles set out in the guidance continue to apply in the event that functionality changes, or new platforms emerge.
Introduction
Under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000, the Representation of the People Act 1983 and the Scottish Parliamentary (Elections etc) Order 2015 the law requires imprints to be displayed on some kinds of printed material.
Under the Elections Act 2022 and the Scottish Elections (Representation and Reform) Act 2025, the law requires imprints on some kinds of electronic material. This guidance refers to electronic material as ‘digital material’.
If you publish material without an imprint when one is required, you may be committing an offence.