Maintaining the integrity and security of the election
Voters and campaigners should be confident that:
elections are free from fraud
everyone can safely take part in the election process
votes cast will be counted in the way that voters intended
the results you declare are a true and accurate
Trust and confidence in the integrity of elections is essential but can be fragile. It will be difficult for you to rebuild trust or confidence which has been lost as a result of allegations or proven cases of fraud. It is also vital that candidates and campaigners can participate free from intimidation or risk.
You should put in place effective strategies for managing the safe delivery of electoral events and the preventing of electoral fraud from the outset. You will also need to be prepared to work with the police, including your police Election Single Point of Contact (SPOC), Force Elected-Official Adviser (FEOA), and prosecutors to subsequently investigate any allegations which might be made.
You should cover your approach to maintaining the security of the election and tackling electoral fraud with parties, candidates and agents at briefing sessions and as part of any written information provided to them. You should also invite the police to attend any such briefing sessions and invite them to supply you with any relevant documentation to include in your information pack.
This guidance deals specifically with the risk of electoral fraud in relation to election processes. For more information about dealing with integrity issues related to fraudulent registration or absent vote applications see our ERO guidance on:
There are a number of electoral offences specified in electoral law. For more information about these offences see our guidance for candidates and agents.
Dealing with allegations of financial offences
Candidates and their agents, political parties and non-party campaigners, must follow rules set out in legislation about how much they can spend at an election. We produce guidance for candidates and agents , parties and non-party campaigners outlining the rules on spending.
Any queries on election spending should be referred our Scotland office either by telephone: 0333 103 1928 or email: [email protected].