Guidance for Candidates and Agents at local government elections in England

Candidate spending is spending that:

• is associated with one of the listed types of regulated activity
• promotes your candidacy, including by criticising other candidates, and
• is used during the regulated period1

Regulated activities

The activities that may count as candidate spending are:

• advertising of any kind.2 For example, posters, newspaper adverts, websites, or videos.
• unsolicited material addressed to voters.3 For example, letters, leaflets, or emails you send that aren’t in response to specific queries.
• transport costs.4 For example, hire cars or public transport for you or your campaigners.
• public meetings.5 For example, reimbursing expenses of attendees, hiring premises and paying for goods, services or facilities for a public meeting.
• staff costs.6 For example, an agent’s salary, or staff seconded to you by their employer. You do not need to include time spent on your campaign by volunteers.
• accommodation.7 For example, your campaign office.
• administrative costs.8 For example, telephone bills, stationery, photocopying and the use of databases.

Promoting the candidate

Promoting the candidate at an election can include:

• explicitly promoting the candidate, for example if a candidate produces leaflets encouraging voters to vote for them or for the party in that ward
• implicitly promoting the candidate over others, for example by setting out the merits of the candidate’s policies
• criticising other candidates standing in the electoral area

If an activity is aimed at voters in the electoral area in which the candidate is standing to promote or secure their election and it either:

• identifies the specific candidate, or
• identifies the specific electoral area in which the candidate is standing

it will be regarded as promoting the candidate.

For example, if a candidate produces a leaflet encouraging voters to vote for them – “Vote Jane Doe” – or the party produces a letter encouraging voters to vote for the party in that ward – “Vote Grey Party in Engleston” – the candidate is identified by name or by their electoral area.

You can find more examples in Spending that promotes a candidate and a party.